


You Are My Miracle

by KaiserinAstraia



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Comedy, Excessive Musical References, Fluff, Implied Demyx/Zexion, Kairi loves snapchat, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, Memes, Mentions of Suicide, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Self-Acceptance, Sora is a meme lord, Summer Camp, Teen Romance, Underage Drinking, emo aesthetics, nostalgic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2018-12-07 02:17:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 115,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11613849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaiserinAstraia/pseuds/KaiserinAstraia
Summary: A summer camp of itty bitty space and endless possibilities. For fractured noses, infinite competition, rainbow hair, emo aesthetics, and making the speedometer needle hit ninety for Sonic shakes. For drunken nights and silent, laughing stars and a summer they wouldn't ever forget.Soriku and Akuroku; Zemyx if you squint.





	1. Daybreak

**A/N:** As of Jan 22, 2017, this is my re-re-write! If you're stumbling upon this, thank all the powers that be you're reading this version. Thanks for reading!

As always, I don't own Kingdom Hearts; I'm just borrowing the characters. Sorry, Nomura!

* * *

**~ Chapter 1: Daybreak ~**

* * *

_Sora:_

This was not among Sora Stride's ideal summer plans. But if anyone asked, he would have said he was looking forward to it; a lie.

First, the  _heat_. It was nearing the end of May, and yet summer was already tangible, each gust of wind prickling the skin like the scratch of a cat's tongue. Sora, a sixteen-year-old brunet with Caribbean blue eyes and tan skin, hazily stepped out of his dad's silvery-blue suburban, groggy from the long car ride to Daybreak Summer Camp.

Second, the  _blindingly_  bright sun. He blinked rapidly, grimacing; what he'd give to dive back into the cool, air-conditioned vehicle.

But the brunet had already agreed to the camp months ago with forced, amicable smiles. His parents made  _sure_ it was okay; after all, not only would he stay for the first "session" of camp, but for the second, too. Typically, the camp only lasted around a month from the end of May to the end of June. Then the second round of the camp took over the month of July and early August, with two weeks of recuperation in between. Sora read the pamphlet.

So, essentially, this camp would take the entirety of the summer before his junior year of high school. He may have done more to protest it if he had anything better to do aside from studying and hanging out with Kairi. He was offered to stay with his brother, Leon, in Twilight Town University, but Sora knew he had to be busy. No college student wants to babysit, after all. The brunet didn't want to be in the way.

There was  _technically_ the option to stay with his real mother, as well. Sora hadn't asked. They never brought up the idea either. Her existence was a mutually avoided topic since the last time she was arrested.

Besides, Sora justified to himself, camp  _could_ be fun. He'd never done it before. Over the course of the summer they would river raft, swim, build campfires, and play sports – again, according to the pamphlet. So what if it wasn't his forte? It sounded occupying enough, even for three months' worth of time.

Despite his internal pep-talk, Sora sighed as he leaned against the car door, waiting for his parents to gather the necessary paperwork for check-in. With no one around to compel him to pretend, his ocean eyes wandered glumly about. The road leading out of the camp was so quickly blurred from the heat waves emanating from the sad, graveled concrete. A dead end; he was here to stay.

There were cabins to his left, separated by rows of boys' and girls' cabins, large, wooden, and shaded by large oak trees. They appeared to lack air-conditioning units, unless they were inside the cabins themselves.  _That_  brought a grimace to Sora's stance.

The camp was  _big_. To his right, an administration building and a huge pool with a volley ball court promised a summer full of structured,  _normal_ , youthful fun. Behind that he could see the edges of a field, most likely for soccer or football. For those with a passion for the outdoors, it would've been a great getaway. Unfortunately, the appeal was lost on the brunet.

"Alright dear," his foster mother said, sympathy laced in her voice, "We should get your stuff and look for your cabin. Dad's checking you in at the office." A woman of energy, she sifted through the trunk full of suitcases searching for Sora's. She practically threw the thing to her son when she found it, her jade eyes glittering in her eternal positivity.

"What's the number?" Sora replied, willing an enthusiastic smile to his face.

It convinced her. She held up the key cheerily, "7-B!"

Sora shuffled onto the path dragging his blue suitcase behind him, grunting at the offending object for catching onto his basketball shorts and inching them down. He was grateful that they arrived so early; he couldn't embarrass himself – yet.

From a distance, the cabins looked separated, but they weren't. Connected by a long, dark wooden deck, it reminded Sora of the dorm hallway he saw when his family helped Leon move. He struggled up the stairs at the front of the long rows of rooms, scrapping past all the A's and most the B's until he reached the very end. He leaned his suitcase against the wooden railing cutting off the hall, waiting for his mom to unlock his door.

Peering into the forest beyond the railing was almost peaceful. Sora mused somewhat optimistically,  _at least my room is near a nice view_. His mom joined him by the railing, handing him the key.

"You can do the honors," she said, "That way it feels like it's your space."

"I think I'm sharing this with, like, three other people, Mom."

"Yeah," she wrinkled her nose, "I always hated roommates. But I bet you'll make friends fast."

The brunet smiled, faking agreement, "You're right. I'll impress them with my wit and best face." He crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

She laughed wholeheartedly, ruffling Sora's warm, cinnamon-colored spikes of hair. " _That's_ the spiri–!"

"What are you two standing around for!?" Sora turned to his dad's taunt, holding his silly face as a retort. The man's smile matched his grey, kind eyes.

"We were talking about you behind your back," Sora's mom jabbed back, her rumbling laughter dying down, "I agree, Sora, that Hawaiian shirt does  _not_ suit him."

His father looked aghast, pulling the fabric from his stomach and peering down. "I am wounded by your words. This is my  _favorite_ shirt."

Sora, playing along, chimed in, "Dad, wrong island. Japan does not equal Hawaii. Unless you guys are complete traitors and are going to Honolulu."

"Oops, he caught us," his father winked at his mom.

"We better run, then!" she said, jokingly. Sora rolled his eyes, though his smile betrayed the gesture. Shaking his head, he turned back to the cabin door. Now that both were present, he finally turned and unlocked his door, slightly apprehensive to see what laid behind.

Well, it could've been worse. It was a simple room, possessing four bunks with very old, creaky mattresses. He was happy to be wrong about the air conditioning – it hung in the bottom half of a window, loudly running at full blast. That, and a second dirty window brought light into the space. Sora stared through them; it had a fairly pretty view of the forest. He wondered the possibility of spotting deer in the morning.

"Hmm, I thought the pamphlet said these cabins were refurbished," his dad commented, judging the room. He sheepishly looked to Sora, "Sorry about this, bud, I thought it would be better."

The brunet shrugged, constructing a brave face, "Eh, don't worry about it guys. It won't be that bad." He turned, looking at his parents lovingly, "I hope you guys have fun. You deserve it!"

Sora's mother rushed in for a big hug, sniffling already. "Aw, Mom, don't cry, it's for like, two months," the brunet complained, wrapping his arms around her. Sora's dad joined the group hug like a big, protective bear.

"What are we even going to  _do_ without you around?" his dad half-joked.

"Be completely, utterly devastated and miserable," Sora replied, speaking more for himself.

His dad saw through it. "Ah, it won't be that bad," he dad echoed, "Maybe your Miracle will happen."

Sora had to stop himself from snorting in skepticism. His family had a strong belief in  _miracles_. That movie moment everyone waited for, that chance encounter, opportunity – the moment everything fell into place. Dad said his was the day he met Sora's mom, and the next one when they married, and then Leon's birth, and Sora's adoption. They were full of clichés like that.

But Sora, well, he barely  _deserved_  what kindness life had given him so far. He was just doing his best not to ruin it.

"Maybe," he said softly, agreeing just to agree. He'd done that a lot today.

"We love you, Sor," his Mom affirmed, kissing his cheek. "And cheer up, okay? We're only a text away." So they did notice. Sora tried to make his smile brighter.

"I love you, too," Sora replied sincerely.

They released him from their loving grip, and started saying their goodbyes. After some more teasing, they finally left the room and Sora. Silence greeted the teen as their footsteps became too distant to hear. He wasn't sure whether he felt dread or relief.

He decided to put it out of his mind and unpack, setting his music library to shuffle from his phone. Even Fall Out Boy's  _Sugar, We're Goin Down_  wasn't enough to quell the loneliness in the room, and he sighed. It was going to be a long summer.

* * *

_Riku:_

"Rent is due on the 28th."

"Mhmm, mhmm."

"The electric bill is different, okay, Mom? That's due the 26th."

"Mhmmmmmm."

"Are you listening to me?" Riku asked in frustration, aquamarine eyes murky in his anxiety and irritation. He passed a hand through his long, silver hair in his bad but uncontrollable habit.

"Ri, I did all this shit before when you were a baby, I can do it for the next three months." Riku shook his head. She continued, "Besides, Sam's got it. He loves us."

The mention of Riku's mother's current fling made his mouth taste sour. "No, he really doesn't." The point had been argued into the ground, and the silveret didn't have the energy to renew the discussion.

He wanted to beg her to be okay while he was gone. But then, he was too angry that she was sending him away for three months to this utterly  _juvenile_ summer camp, so instead, he clenched his jaw.

Her little red Mazda pulled into to Daybreak Summer Camp, tires gritting on the gravel road and she winced. Riku rolled his eyes, knowing how ridiculously picky she was about her car. He leapt out before the vehicle had even fully stopped, earning a shout of protest from his mother. Still, he popped the trunk aggressively to fetch his things, and a minute later his mom was following him, searching through her name-brand bottomless purse with vigor. Despite the absurdly tall heels adorning her slender feet, she never once faltered walking in the gravel.

"Ugh, I told Sam I would call him when we got here…" she complained, still digging through her purse.

Riku, still agitated, replied, "Who gives a fuck? He's not your babysitter."

"Oh, don't be like that. He just cares about  _our_ safety," she snapped back, procuring her cell phone. Her acrylic nails created little ticking sounds on the screen as she texted, only serving to annoy the silveret more.

"Yeah,  _our_  safety. Right," Riku retorted sarcastically, knowing the futility of the conversation. It was so familiar that Riku's mom didn't bother to argue. He pulled his hair roughly into a pony-tail with a band he always kept on his wrist; the summer sun made it a necessity.

Suitcase retrieved, they walked over the administration building, Riku already sweating profusely in the heat. His mom's eyes stayed glue to her phone all the way to there, while Riku sulked silently. But when they arrived, his mom took over for the check-in bullshit, sweet-talking the man running the place, describing Riku's allergies and tendency to get sick. All lies of course, but he needed any excuse he could get to escape the "activities" for a day or two – or all of them.

The silveret would've been grateful for the get-out-of-jail-free card setup if it weren't still her fault for their being here in the first place.

After what felt like an eternity of watching his mother flirt, he finally ended up in his cabin. He was unsurprised to be put in the very back cabin. His very existence demanded he be put to the side, and he wouldn't argue. Only one other person seemed to be there yet, as Fall Out Boy played muffled in the air from the room across the hall. If he were in a better mood, Riku might have approved the choice. He unlocked the door with undue aggression.

A quick glance around was all he needed; he  _hated_  this place, every square inch. If Riku weren't resolved to keep things civil, he'd renew the heated discussion on his abandonment here for three months. He was fairly certain  _Sam_ insisted Riku come here, and his mom, nothing if not obliging to whoever she was dating, agreed wholeheartedly without giving her nearly-of-age son a say. Riku didn't know the game he was playing, but Sam had another thing coming if he thought this would get the silveret out of the way. Riku grit his teeth.

"I think that's everything," Riku commented, not expecting a reply.

"Yep," she said, eyes judgmental of the room. It took all of Riku's willpower to stop himself from lecturing her  _again_ about bill payment dates, and to make sure to take out the trash, and to sleep in her own bed and  _not the couch_ no matter how drunk she gets and –

"I should go," she interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah, probably." He was tired, and wished she'd leave so he could marinate in his anger.

"I'm going to miss you, Ri," she finished, walking over to him and kissing his forehead. She had to reach up to accomplish it even in her absurdly high heels, so the silveret appreciated the effort. "Love you."

"I love you, too, Mom," and it wasn't a lie. "If anything happens, just call me."

She swatted his chest playfully. "I'm a big girl, Riku, I'll be  _fine_." He didn't believe her, but didn't say anything.

Another quick hug, and she left. He released a breath of air he didn't know he had been holding. The silence of the cabin, save the tune playing from the other cabin across the hall, was deafening compared to the cars and city bustle he was accustomed to.

He refused to think about it and didn't bother unpacking. Plugging in his Nintendo DS, he plopped himself down on a bed of his choice, and busied himself with ignoring whoever would come into the cabin. Despite himself, he found himself humming to whoever's music played as he loaded his save file. The isolation set in when the song ended, and he frowned, gazing out the window into the lonely forest beyond.

It was going to be a long summer.


	2. Teenagers Scare Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter was inspired by My Chemical Romance's  _Teenagers_.

 

**~ Chapter 2: Teenagers Scare Me ~**

* * *

_Sora:_

Kairi communicated solely through Snapchat, and was the entire reason Sora had an account at all. Really, the entire reason he used his cell phone in general. Though he shouldn't have been, he was surprised to see a small five in the top right corner of the app icon, and sensing an early death if he didn't answer, clicked it while he waited for the camp's kick off assembly.

" _So~ra, who's going to make me study? Why did you abandon me? I'm so hurt,"_ the redhead said through his phone. She made a sound of tragic dismay at the end, then put her face right up to the camera, " _If I fail, it's your fault_." With cat ears and a high pitched, modified voice, she sounded anything but upset or threatening. It made the cabin just a little cozier.

" _Hey, you still have your location turned on so I know where you are. You have to snap me back or I'll come for you."_ This snap, she was a bear with sunglasses.

The next was a picture with her face deadpanned, with the word 'BRUH' in bright purple across the image. Sora snickered. The fourth was a picture of her Starbucks. She knew that Sora would never understand the concept of watching her "story" and so just sent him  _literally_ everything she posted.

" _I'm spending the night at Selphie's and I'm going to shit-talk you for ignoring me,"_ she said in her last video. Sora couldn't take her seriously with her mouth wider than her face and her eyes the size of saucers. He laughed into his hand, and thought of a suitable, fire-extinguishing reply.

Snapchat had a photo cover for the camp, the word Daybreak in all caps in a gradient of purple, orange, and yellow at the bottom. He smiled and held a peace sign.  _Click._ " _Just got here, Kai. Miss you already,"_ he typed. He hoped this wasn't the start of an insatiable appetite for the family data plan.

"Selfies, already?" a stranger said, intruding into the cabin with the scraping of a duffel bag against the doorframe.

Sora looked over with wide eyes, and was instantly struck with awe at the  _height_ of this person. Red, long hair and grass-green, sparkling eyes, Sora had a hard time believing they were even in the same age range. He continued, looking to the brunet for guidance, "Are any of the other beds taken?"

Sora shook his head, sitting up on his chosen creaky mattress. The new roommate threw his duffel bag onto the top bunk of the beds opposite Sora. Then he leaned forward, staring straight into Sora's face. "The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

"U-uh, sure. I'm Sora."  _Are those real tattoos?_ He could hardly believe his eyes, peering at the two upside-down tear drops on each cheek of the redhead named Axel.

He laughed, climbing into his bunk. "Nice t'meet you, Sora." The brunet leaned back against the wall of the bed again, still watching the stranger tentatively. Like him, Axel too abandoned unpacking and instead got out his phone. "Tsk... no wifi."

The brunet was about to confirm the fact when the hallway got noisy. Even Axel looked up in curiosity, when suddenly the door slammed open. Sora flinched from the sound. His eyes darted apprehensively at the blond that barged in.

The teen blushed, standing at the doorway, obviously surprised by his own loud arrival. "7-B?" he grumbled out.

Axel's smile was wide. "Yep. Nice entrance."

The blond glared, but chose the bed under Axel, setting his black suitcase by it. He turned to Sora, and for a moment he thought he was looking into a mirror. His blue eyes were the  _exact_ same shade, but sharper, calculating. He stuck his hand out, and Sora dumbly took it. "Roxas," he said.

"Sora."

"Aaaaand I'm Axel!" the redhead exclaimed. Roxas extended his hand to him as well, but Axel shook it excessively. Sora giggled as the blond recoiled after a solid ten seconds of handshaking, scoffing.

"Wanna switch?" Roxas said uncertainly to Sora, glancing apprehensively to Axel. Laughing, Sora replied, "Nope, I'm good."

"I'm wounded!" Axel exaggeratedly exclaimed, hand on his forehead in woe.

"And so is my  _hand_ ," Roxas critiqued before peeking at the phone he slid from his basketball shorts' pocket. "My sister said the assembly thing is starting. We should go."

Sora, nervous but anxious to flock, scooted off the bed. "Wanna sit together?" he asked, looking to his cabin-mates.

"Sure, if you sit next to this one," Roxas said, pointing to Axel over his shoulder.

"So cold~" the redhead sang. Sora shrugged. "Fine by me."

"See, he's not scared," Axel teased.

"I'm not  _scared–"_

He leapt off the bed, ignoring the stairs on the side of the bunk. "C'mon, let's go," he said, taking the lead. Roxas protested being ignored, but they both followed him like they trusted him to know where he was going. He didn't.

* * *

_Sora:_

A large fire crackled in a rustic fire pit, stones outlining its bounds and waves of heat blowing down the slight breeze, taking smoke with it. Sora didn't like being so close to it, but Axel had insisted they sit on the nearest available concrete bench. Another quirk to the personality Axel so flaunted; he loved the flames.

The bench was long enough to fit the four of them; Sora, Axel, Roxas, and his sister, Namine. Their hair color and eyes matched perfectly, though Namine's eyes were soft and kind, like her pretty smile. Sora's first impression of the girl was that she was quiet and distracted. Even to the assembly she carried with her a drawing notepad and procured colored pencils from seemingly nowhere, and was preoccupied with drawing while various adults talked about safety and other mind-numbing topics.

At least the campfire-and-s'mores event was cool. The sun had set, so the fire was hot but not  _too_ hot, and the stars were starting their shy, nightly debut. With a mouthful of s'mores, Sora watched Axel toast his s'more the  _extra_ way, whipping out a lighter of his own from his back pocket and personally roasting his cracker and mallow.

"You seriously broughta  _lighter_?" Roxas questioned the redhead, grimacing at his concentrated gaze.

"It's useful," Axel retorted, sparing only a glance to the blond.

"Well, I hope you don't love it, because it's definitely going to get confiscated," he continued, glancing to a camp organizer not ten feet away. Sora thought his worry was misplaced; the organizer was young and relaxed. Out of all the adults there, he seemed like the only one actually  _into_ sports. Sandy blond, mulleted, and guitar-clad, he bounced from group to group of kids, asking "What's up?" like he was one of them. It convinced a few people.

But, he was headed their way. "Phut your phone uph," Sora told Roxas through a mouthful of cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow. Roxas gave him a look that clearly said, " _What_?" and Sora glanced to the advancing admin. With a grateful look, the device slipped into the blond's pocket.

"Hey, guys, what's up? My name is Demyx and–" He spotted Axel's lighter. "Bruh. That's totally not allowed."

Axel grinned, lying effortlessly, "My bad, I didn't know."

Demyx pat his pockets and then retrieved a piece of paper. "' _If a camper is found with a banned object, take the object and bring it to the office_ '... yikes. They picked the wrong guy for this," Demyx read, frowning ridiculously.

Sora actually laughed, eyebrows furrowed. He was  _bizarre_. Axel and Demyx shrugged together. "Ah, yeah, just put it away, will you?" the sandy-blond continued, "I'm just here for the free food."

"Sure thing, man," Axel said, voice smooth as butter. The lighter disappeared back into his back pocket, and Roxas rolled his eyes.

"So, you guys excited for the summer?" Demyx inquired amicably, as if nothing was awry.

The look on his face when all four of them shook their heads completely synchronized would have made a perfect meme. "What! But we have a  _pool_ ," he argued, and Roxas just looked at him like he was crazy.

"You don't really  _work,_ do you?" he asked, blunt.

Demyx raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, hey, don't say it too loud." Namine giggled, lifting her eyes from the notepad to join the camaraderie around her.

"Well, I'm off. And seriously dude, don't get me in trouble," he glanced sheepishly at Axel, who gave him a thumb's up.

Roxas's lips pursed, muttering, "Lucky bastard..." With a wave, the mulleted admin went to the next group, just as enthusiastic as before.

They laughed together, mouths full of chocolate and marshmallows. Namine held up her drawing pad; it was a sketch of Axel's lighter,  _got it memorized_ in the flame.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Sora exclaimed.

She blushed, giggling behind her hand. "It's just a quick sketch…"

"Can I have it?!" Axel begged. "That would make a rad tattoo…"

She nodded, her eyes sparkling. "When I finish it!"

Roxas rolled his eyes, but smiled.

And Sora? He forgot his loneliness basking in the glow of new friends and in anticipation of the unknown summer ahead.

* * *

_Sora:_

Sora was getting anxious, watching Axel and Roxas play chess and Namine draw. It wasn't that he was bored; on the contrary, he was enjoying texting Kairi under the cafeteria table, and watching Roxas demolish the redhead at the game. But as the cafeteria slowly cleared after breakfast, he had the sinking feeling they, too, would be forced to vacate the premises and go outside into the deadly heat – specifically to play some sport.

It's not that Sora hated sports, specifically. He was adequate, though he never attempted to learn the strategy of any one of them. He was more into martial arts. Though the entire concept terrified him at first, his foster parents made him join karate – made is too strong a word, more like they asked and Sora didn't dare protest – and Sora found solace in transforming into an indoor warrior.

The only trouble was, outside of the dojo, he couldn't raise his fists.

It started out small, like these things do. Getting pushed in P.E., being excluded from team picks, that sort of thing. And then, pushed into lockers in the locker room. Then, his stuff started going missing. Then, he was cornered in the showers. But through it all, he couldn't fight back.

He didn't understand  _why_ it was happening in the first place. What did he do? But it was Tidus who spilled the beans, " _I bet Kairi will feel so sorry for you, Sora – why don't you go tell her what happened?"_ And then it made sense. It was jealousy.

He didn't tell Kairi. He didn't tell anyone. He didn't want the pity or the questions. Sora wouldn't – couldn't – fight back, and Kairi was as friendly to everyone as ever. He could never, ever, steal the belief of good in people from her. Her rose-colored lenses on the world was what he wanted to protect most in the world. Eventually, he failed at that too.

Sora shook his head. Point was, he didn't want to go out and play sports or whatever, because he never knew if  _this_ game would be when it started. Or the next. Or the next. And if it did, he'd be alone in it. Everyone he loved were hundreds of miles away, and the strangers he had just met would either turn a blind eye, or even join the group that would ignore him.

That would make for a pretty shitty summer.

Axel sighed, drawing Sora's attention from his unintentional space-out. "This is boring."

Roxas smirked wickedly. "Does this mean you accept defeat?" The redhead pouted, looking glumly at the board. "I really suck at this."

The blond, still grinning devilishly, pat his hand. "C'mon, just take your turn, I'll kill you quickly."

Axel laughed. "Such confidence. Why don't we just go out and play soccer or something?"

Namine glared at the redhead. "No, I'm not done yet!" Sora turned to the drawing blonde. His and Axel's shocked gaze made her blush a deep pink. "S-sorry, I almost have this sketch done."

Roxas groaned knowingly, "Nami, please don't tell me you're drawing what I  _think_ you are drawing." Her blush deepened to a cherry red, but she didn't respond. Her brother groaned in frustration, whispering sadly to the heavens, " _Why me_?"

Axel's Cheshire grin appeared on his face. "Whatcha dra~wing, Nami?" Roxas glared at his use of her nickname.

A strange, knowing smile graced her face, and she slowly turned the book toward the redhead, taking care to keep it from her brother and Sora's sight. Axel's brilliant green eyes widened to the size of golf balls and gleamed as soon as he saw.

" _Oh."_

Namine snickered, cheeks still pink.

"Hey!" Sora intervened, "I want to see too."

Namine was giggling too hard to respond, but Roxas pleaded, "No, Sora, please don't. I promise you will be scarred for life."

"I think I've gone to heaven," Axel said, feigning bliss.

Roxas jumped up, knocking the chess board back, cheeks flaming to the same shade of his sister's. "Like hell you have!" A couple of Roxas's easily-won pieces fell to the tiled floor, making little click sounds.

It was Sora's turn to laugh. "What's the bet if the board is destroyed?" he asked, reaching down to pick up the plastic pieces.

Now the blond's anger melted to mortification. Axel sniggered almost evilly, "Oh, looks like you forfeit, not me."

"This doesn't count!" Roxas cried.

Axel held up his hands innocently. "Alright, alright. We'll just postpone to another day." He winked, and Roxas gave him an expression of bewilderment and disgust.

Roxas sat again, a light blush on his cheeks. "This is so your fault, Nami." He started to set up the board again, sending furtive glances to his sister who still insisted on sketching, when the main admin appeared.

"Chess?" he said. Sora nearly jumped out of his skin. The man was right behind him! When he turned to look, he realized just what a presence the man had. Tall, wide chest, his hair silver from age and skin dark, he reminded Sora of all the many lawyers he met when he was being adopted. He must own the camp in its entirety. The brunet found himself swallowing thickly in his nervousness.

But Axel's change was more pronounced. Though amicable with Demyx and playful just minutes ago, the redhead tensed, all mirth from his eyes departing as if they could pale like his skin. Roxas sent a concerned glance to him, but then responded to the man. "Uh, yes sir?"

"It's a nice day," he said, voice laced with double-meaning, "There's a team on the soccer field needing extra players."

Axel was uncharacteristically silent, and Namine was gathering her art supplies, hugging her notepad to her chest. Sora cleared his throat. "W-we were just thinking of that," he lied, sending a  _look_ to Roxas to back him up. The nod was barely more than a twitch, but the blond started gathering the pieces to put back in the box. "Yeah!" he said, "We'll do that then."

The man smiled, but it wasn't pleasant, and he walked away, apparently satisfied. Roxas had to grab Axel's arm to get him to stand. He muttered to the redhead, "You okay? You, like, froze up."

Axel furrowed his eyebrows. "He... looked like someone I knew." Then he shook his head, twisting his face back to his normal, mischievous smile. His eyes were grateful to the blond. "Were you worried about me, Roxy?"

"Wh-what?" Roxas sputtered, shocked and displeased at the new nickname. "I-I wasn't! And don't call me Roxy, it's Roxas, you idiot!"

"That's no fun," Axel whined, "Roxy fits you better." The blond scowled, cheeks pink for the upteenth time from the redhead antics. The other two giggled, and Namine looked satisfied.

"I like it," she sang.

"That makes it worse," Roxas said, looking defeated. "Last time I help you, gees."

"Whatever you say, Roxy~"

Sora would have laughed along, but he was too preoccupied dreading the innocent sport of soccer.

* * *

_Riku:_

The cabins were completely silent. Riku's cabin-mates left, as they were told, to the basketball courts; but holding a contempt for the entire  _idea_  of this "summer vacation", held here without a car, without Wi-Fi, or even a  _choice_ of what he  _eats,_ the silveret flat out refused to leave the cabin. The others, being complete strangers, obviously just told him to suit himself.

Riku knew his Nintendo DS would come in handy. As far as he was concerned, if the only thing he interacted with was that device all summer, so be it. Decidedly giving his mother the silent treatment, he spent the day ignoring the buzzing on his phone, and stared unyieldingly at his game.

That is, until an admin walked by his cabin and saw him still within it.

Though none of those running this place seemed particularly competent at their jobs, this admin seemed the most out of place; an average height man, dark hair covering one side of his face, and Riku-Levels-Of-Pale, Riku had a sinking suspicion the two of them would have similar music tastes. Why or how he got a job taking care of a bunch of teenagers, in the bright hot sun, in the middle of nowhere, boggled the silveret's mind.

The admin sighed when he spotted Riku. At first, Riku pretended not to notice, but the man was granted a sliver of respect when he politely knocked on the door frame. Riku removed a headphone.

"What?" Riku asked, voice completely flat and disinterested.

"You're doing exactly what I would rather be doing right now, so I need you to go join the others." His voice matched Riku's tone exactly, but the silveret still glared.

The admin held the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "Just go, I don't care where. I won't take the DS so just go so I don't get fired."

The entire interaction was a very  _annoying_ reminder that he was, essentially, being babysat. With a growl of interaction, he snapped the DS shut and slid the device into his back pocket. "Fine," he said. The admin nodded. Riku finally noticed his ID hanging from the man's lanyard; Zexion.

Right as Riku slid past him in the door, not failing to take notice that Riku was even  _taller_ than this guy, Zexion said, "Might I make the suggestion to go to the soccer field? They need a score-keeper." Riku instantly understood the idea; keeping score meant no movement and minimal attention required.

"Thanks," he muttered, and left in the direction indicated.

Riku followed Zexion's advice, sitting on a bench just to the side of the field. One of the teams instantly knew what Riku was there for, and a sweet blonde girl approached with a shy smile.

"W-would you mind looking over my notepad?" she asked, nervously, and Riku wondered if he really looked so frightening. She opened the book held protectively in her arms to a blank page. "You could keep score on this," she added, handing it and a red colored pencil to him.

Riku attempted a smile to make him look a  _little_ less full of murderous intent, and this seemed to relax her a little. He nodded and took the supplies. "Thanks," she said, and waved as she walked back. One of the people of her group, a tan brunet, sent him a thumbs-up from afar, and Riku had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

Riku sighed; it was ungodly hot and bright. He couldn't play his DS out here for sure; too much risk being caught by the wrong person with it. He's regretting his decision to wear a black t-shirt and jeans, as he knew he would, as the heat was making him drowsy.

Even the players were reluctant to play. The game started with vigor, as they all hadn't burnt any energy for the day, but they quickly opted for slow jogging instead of the sprint from one goal to another as the ball got kicked around. It couldn't get more monotonous.

At least, until he heard the girl from earlier grunt from impact with the grass of the field. It sounded like she ate it pretty hard, which tore Riku from his dozing instantly as he looked over. The soccer was instantly forgotten by the teams. One side snickered to themselves while the other, who had the girl on their team, jumped in surprise and helped her up. The guy who seemed to be the cause backed up, his facial expression all too recognizable to Riku.

"Are you okay, Namine?" a blond said. With them standing next to each other, it was clear they were siblings. Namine, the sister, nodded slowly, wiping grass off from her grey-yoga-pants covered knees. It didn't help; the knees were green. Her white shirt didn't do much better. Even from farther off, Riku could tell she was trying hard not to cry, her face red.

It was just instinct to glare at the other team.

"What was that?" a redhead asked, his gaze pointed directly to the guy Riku saw backing up. He had darker skin and grey hair, like Riku's, and reminded him distinctly of the owner of the camp. Perhaps his son?

He shrugged, "She should watch where she's going."

The brunet released a short laugh of disbelief. "Dude, I  _saw_ you trip her."

"Did you? Did anyone else see it?" His voice was cold, and taunting. Suddenly he was right in the brunet's face. Side by side, the darker-skinned kid towered over the brunet, and Riku could see the fear in his eyes – and his body; he was shaking. The silveret thought he'd back down with such a strong physical reaction; but he didn't, and stared straight into his orange eyes.

Things were quickly getting out of hand. Namine nervously walked up to them, shaking just as much as the brunet was from the impact of the ground and the resulting, unavoidable, adrenaline rush. She insisted, voice shaking, "Stop it, it's fine, let's just play the game."

Riku knew the look on the kid with orange eyes; he had seen it too many times before. Time slowed down as he knew exactly what would happen. He stood by instinct, ready to rush in to intervene despite his better judgement, but even with his good intentions he knew that he was too far away for it to make a difference.

The orange-eyed kid pushed the blonde back by her shoulder, and then raised his other arm while everyone was distracted by his first aggression. His fist came down and attempted to punch across the brunet's face, but Riku was astounded when he  _missed_.

The silveret took a step forward, about to cross the distance, but was stunned in place by the brunet. He was  _grinning_. He had that same, knowing expression as soon as he saw the fist coming right for him, and all he did was lean back a  _centimeter_ , a movement so slight that Riku only caught it because he'd done it before himself. His eyes still glowered a dark blue in his fear, but the silveret got the distinct impression that it wasn't the kid he was afraid of.

Who was this guy?

Time snapped back into place. The orange-eyed kid growled in frustration, likely surprised that his punch didn't land. A friend on his team, a tall, lanky guy with brown, long hair tied back in a pony tail and yellow eyes, called out, "'Ey, Xehan, think we should just go? It's not worth the effort."

"Shut up!" Xehan retorted. Now certain this would turn into a brawl, Riku began a determined pace over to the stand-off. Unsurprisingly, the redhead was also closing in, looking like he had fire in his very bones.

But before either could intervene, a familiar voice rang out. "That's strike one, Xehanort." Riku looked over his shoulder to Zexion, who appeared on the side of the field. "Don't make me tell your father," he finished, arms crossed and face contorted in an annoyed scowl.

Though his eyes were orange, Xehanort's glare was icy. "Let's go," he hissed through gritted teeth. Most of the intended audience didn't need to be told twice. The other team backed away slowly, some of them clearly wishing they were not associated with what just transpired. The pony-tail kid and another with blue hair went to either side of Xehanort, glaring back so that the opposing team knew that whatever had just happened was not, in fact, over.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Riku watched as the redhead whirled around to Namine and the brunet. "Jesus Christ, Sora, are you okay?"

The brunet nodded, huffing from the nerves still buzzing excitedly across his body. Riku hesitated to go over and join their inquiry. He didn't know any of them, so it really wasn't any of his business. The one named Sora said, "He didn't hit me." His blue eyes, now the color of the expanse of sky above them, stared after where Xehanort was. Riku felt his gut twist at the realization that Sora had clearly dealt with this before.

Zexion approached them, mostly concerned with the blonde who did get hurt. Her knees had little red circles forming through the fabric of her pants. Zexion said apologetically, "Let me take you to the nurse." Namine nodded, blushing at the attention on her.

Riku looked back at the bench where he left her notepad and pencils. It was awkward, but he retrieved her things and intercepted their walk to the nurse's office, handing them to her. Her eyes shined in gratuity when she received them, hugging them to her chest. "Oh my god, I can't believe I forgot these. Thank you so much – err..."

The silveret sighed. "Riku. No problem."

She smiled, "Thanks, Riku." When he looked back over, he realized with a sinking stomach her entire group of friends saw. Sora, in particular, smiled appreciatively – Riku felt disarmed, and the distinct desire to run away. So, he walked away before they decided they wanted to talk to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Add me on Tumblr if you like? kaiserin-astraia


	3. Don't

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Bullying, Panic Attack  
> Less serious TW: liberal use of the word "fuck" ahead.

 

* * *

**~ Chapter 3: Don't ~**

* * *

_Sora:_

Sora could still feel Xehanort's stare on the back of his head even when they were safely away in their cabin that night.

Namine had returned from the nurse in time for dinner, but wore the damage on her clothes. She said she felt fine, and to drop it, but Sora couldn't. He  _saw_ Xehanort trip her, and he'd be damned if he didn't say something.

It was his insistence on the truth that always got him in trouble. He remembered when Kairi was first starting to look feminine in form, around seventh grade, and wore a skirt to school. Sora thought nothing of it, except that she looked nice, but some boys thought it would be funny to flick up the end of it, wanting a panty shot.

Well, joke was on them, because she had shorts on underneath, for starters. But Sora came to her aid anyway, loudly calling them out in the hallway. He wanted the teachers to hear, to see, so that they wouldn't try again. All it brought him was a clandestine encounter with those boys that left him with a busted lip, a black eye, and a welt on his jaw. Even Tidus was horrified when he saw. To Sora, it was worth it, even when Kairi insisted he need not do it again even for her sake. But he would.

The case was no different here. He thought that they probably would've left it alone even though Sora called him out, but then he dodged Xehanort's punch. He could see it in his eyes; that was what his pride couldn't stand. That's why all through dinner Sora felt watched. He knew that sooner or later, him and likely his two friends would corner him.

Sora knew that he should defend himself. He knew how. He was a black belt in karate. But outside of the dojo, he couldn't bring himself to raise his fists. It would shatter everything.

Axel also seemed to recognize the grudge they had out for the brunet. "They are not going to let that go," he warned, arms and legs crossed as he sat on his bunk.

"It's not like we can do anything about it," Sora replied, resigned and tired. "He's the owner's kid. He can do whatever he wants."

The redhead scoffed, "He can do anything as long as daddy doesn't see, got it memorized?"

Sora didn't have it memorized so he shook his head. Axel continued, "I'm saying, don't go alone anywhere, and stay in the sight of the admins, as much as I hate to say it." Roxas nodded in agreement, eyes icy and serious.

The brunet tried to smile convincingly, "Thanks, Axel. I don't think it will come to that, though." It was a lie, but he didn't want his new friends to worry.

Roxas tsk-d. "I'm with Axel on this. Stick with us," he commanded, his cheeks blooming into a soft red, "A-and it's the least we could do. For sticking up for Nami."

"It was the right thing to do," Sora said. Roxas looked gratefully at him.

"She's a tough cookie," Axel said considerately, "She didn't even cry. Hell, I might have."

The blond turned to the redhead with a smile of disbelief and actually laughed; something he hadn't done all night, brooding and enraged at what had happened to his sister. "I would  _love_ to see that." Sora was relieved to see his harsh playfulness revived.

"Or do you just want to see me on my knees?" Axel immediately countered, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Both Sora and Roxas sputtered and turned bright red.

"What!?" Roxas exclaimed, "Fuck that! What is wrong with you?"

Axel snickered, "I told you, lots of things." Roxas rubbed his face as if that would clear his flustered expression. Sora just wanted the conversation to end, though he giggled anyway.

"God, fuck, anyway. Sora, seriously, don't go places alone for a while, okay?" Now he determinedly leveled eyes with Sora, blatantly ignoring Axel's pokes into his shoulder.

Since he was so adamant, Sora nodded, agreeing, but still said, "Fine, but nothing is going to happen. Besides, Namine said to drop it."

"She just doesn't want us to treat her like a damsel in distress," Roxas countered knowingly, "She's always been that way."

Sora thought about Kairi; she would have wanted the same thing. He managed a smile. Axel looked over the bar of his bunk down to the blond, "Definitely more warrior princess."

Roxas made a face of disgust. "Please don't hit on my sister, dude. Find your Xena elsewhere."

Axel gave a similar expression back. "Ew, no – I mean, Nami's great. But  _really_  not my type. No thank you."

"Well, thank god for that." Roxas rolled his eyes. Axel was about to continue, his green eyes alight in devilish scheming, but Roxas glared up in warning. He sheepishly backed off, whatever mischievous idea he had, thwarted.

Sora was at least relieved they continued their normal banter, but the brunet felt like he should sleep with one eye open. His foster dad's words about stupid  _miracles_  entered his mind, and he turned his face away from his bunkmates to hide the swelling of tears in his eyes. If this was what miracles were made of, fate could keep them to itself.

* * *

_Riku:_

After eating dinner alone yet again, Riku slipped out of the cafeteria to hit up the bathrooms before the post-meal rush. The cafeteria door closed behind him with a satisfying  _whoosh,_ locking away the chatter behind him.

He was grateful for the quiet. The sky was fading to a baby blue as the sun set, the shadows of the surrounding trees not black quite yet, the temperature finally bearable.

He walked slowly to the dimly lit restrooms, bugs visibly circling the lights up above. The silveret was distracted, deciding between playing his DS tonight or browsing YouTube – and whether his mother could afford Riku using the data – when he heard slamming and loud voices from the direction of the male bathrooms. He instinctively walked a little faster, too familiar with the orchestra of sounds to ignore them. Each step closer brought greater volume, and Riku quickened his pace deliberately.

Quickly the peaceful chirping of the summer cicadas was overwhelmed from some commotion within the lavatory. Riku paused at the door, tension mounting in his very bones as his mind leapt to conclusions. He'd rather not walk in on something unexpected.

A stall door slammed, undue force obviously applied to it. Skidding of shoes on tile. Someone gasped. "Leave me alon-" the statement was cut off, and something hits a stall.

"You're making us look sexist," someone said, voice vaguely familiar, "Making us pick on all the girls." Someone laughed in response as the sounds got more chaotic.

Riku's heart constricted as the worst was confirmed. How many times has he been in this spot? His first instinct was to run in, guns blazing – but he hesitated.

A familiar face, unwillingly forced to the surface of his mind, took shape. He remembered black, mussed hair, a black eye and a purple cheek, but a smile through pained tears and the simple request: " _Don't, Riku."_ That was what Mikey said  _every time_. But why? Why wouldn't he let Riku defend him?

But, the silveret remembered with a painful lurch of his chest, Mikey wasn't around anymore to answer those questions.

Not another thought went through the silveret's mind as his sight tinted red, and he barged through the bathroom door. Rage boiled in the pit of his stomach, as if Xehanort, this stranger, was hurting his best friend, and he snarled nastily, "What the  _fuck_ are you doing?!"

The assailants practically jumped from their skin having been caught, especially the brunet with a pony-tail. In the back corner, a group of three stood haughty over a slumped over figure in front of the back-most stall. Xehanort recovered quickly and held his stance, arms crossed, arrogantly ignoring the murder in the silver devil's eyes even as he approached at top speed.

"Oh, we were just teaching him the difference between tripping and-" He was silenced by a solid, full-force punch to the face. Even through his blinding rage, Riku remembered how effortlessly Sora had dodged a very similar punch, and smirked. If they were teaching him what it meant to trip, then Riku would teach him how to hit.

The other silveret teen reeled back, hitting the back wall with a thud, grunting instinctually at the sudden pain. His two friends, momentarily shocked, stepped up to defend him aggressively, but Riku effortlessly overpowered them. When the blue-haired one swung at him, he redirected the punch and twisted his arm back, pushing him straight into the other guy. Like a stack of dominos, they tripped and tumbled back, shouting expletives.

They didn't advance again. The silveret exhaled, his senses coming back to him like rain pouring down in a flash storm. He sneered at their cowardice and complete lack of competence, his gaze a clear warning to stay down. Xehanort's orange eyes were murderous as he held the side of his face. Riku's smile grew delirious when he realized that Xehanort got lucky; Riku's punch glanced off his cheek. If it had hit his jaw, it would be broken.

Still, he had the nerve to hiss, "Wait till I tell my dad." The blue-haired guy, still nameless, looked at his leader incredulously. At least he understood their position.

"Get. The  _fuck._ Out," Riku demanded, hardly able to recognize his own voice and wholly uncaring of Xehan's pathetic threats. Having lost his at the amnesiac age of four, he wasn't afraid of daddy.

They didn't need to be told twice. "C'mon, Isa, Xehan," one said, rubbing random parts of limbs that were bruised in their tumble to the ground. They scrambled out immediately and without grace, taking care to keep as far from touching Riku as possible as they passed.

As soon as the door closed behind them, silence enfolded the bathroom. Riku was only brought out of his trance when he heard sniffling, and he suddenly remembered the teen on the floor.

He whirled around, kneeling immediately to check him. Spiky chocolate brown hair hid his face, shoulders slumped, knees and shins scratched and bruised. He sniffled again, shaking probably from both pain and shock. Riku didn't understand; he was able to dodge Xehanort's punch from the other day so how were they able to do so much? Maybe three-against-one was too much.

"Hey, are you okay?" Riku knew it was an idiotic question, but he had to start somewhere. He began to place a tentative hand on the brunet's shoulder, but Sora flinched and so Riku dropped it.

"I- I- I don't kn-kn-know," the brunet hiccupped out, slowly lifting his head.

Riku was met with the same gorgeous, sparkling sky-blue eyes he saw the day on the soccer field, and for a moment he forgot where he was. Up close, they were breathtaking. But the blood dripping from his nose and busted lip brought him back almost immediately.  _Fuck._  They were brutal. Riku was speechless, wondering just exactly what sort of human being held such a malicious grudge over a  _non-competitive soccer game_.

Riku's thoughts were broken as the brunet's breathing suddenly turned shallow and frantic, eyes pouring out terrified, pain-ridden tears. He gripped the stall walls as if the floor would collapse below him, blubbering nonsense. Though the temperature of the bathroom wasn't too warm, he was sweating. Riku panicked; what was happening? And what should he do? He was freaking out but he didn't know  _anything_ about this teen to snap him out of whatever gripped him. Riku looked around helplessly.

Noting the way Sora seemed to grasp for stability, Riku did the only thing that came to mind. He softly pulled the roughed-up brunet to him into the corner of the bathroom in between his legs, heart breaking at how Sora had become a rag-doll, overcome with his panic. Riku, bewildered at his own instinct but unsure what else to do, held him there, like a loose cocoon. The silveret outreached his arms around the hyperventilating teen in a hug-like embrace. Now Sora seemed disoriented, but not afraid of the floor falling through.

"U-um, try, uh, try breathing slower," Riku suggested, feeling awful and awkward as hell. "In," Riku breathed in deep to give an example, "Out."

He did this a few times, and the brunet tried to follow along. After several attempts, Sora's shaking lessened. Encouraged, Riku muttered, "It's okay. It's okay. They are gone. It's just us. You're safe. You're safe." The silveret continued this in a mantra-like monologue, and eventually the brunet calmed to just sniffles and forced slow, deep breathing. Riku pet his hair, hoping that was comforting.

When the calm breathing was no longer forced, Riku lessened his grip, giving him some more space. The brunet didn't move.

"H-hey, uhm, what's your name?" Riku asked lamely. He knew already, but was desperately hoping smalltalk would help somehow.

The brunet hiccupped, "S-sora. I-… Thank you so much," a rough sniff, "Oh god, you seriously just saved me," a shaky exhale, "And, oh  _shit_ , I am so sorry." Sora groaned, rubbing his face, coming to grips with his surroundings and everything that just occurred all at once.

"I just freaked out on you, I- I am so sorry." He apologized again, scooting out from between Riku's legs, turning to face him. The brunet wiped his arm across his lip, hissing when the bruising protested at his pressure.

"No, no, it's fine, you got fucked up, I don't blame you," Riku said blankly, eyebrows knit together at the very  _notion_ Sora would apologize for this. He was just relieved he didn't have to call an ambulance or something.

Sora exhaled, eyes clearer now, "Thank you." He stood slowly, reaching for a paper towel, most likely to clean his face of blood and tears.

Riku got up, reality settling on him like emerging from a fog. He looked about helplessly, unsure what to do now, hands shoved into his pockets.

"What's your name?" Sora returned the question, shoving a tissue up his nose to stop the bleeding.

"Riku," he replied, just watching at this point.

"Riku. I remember you from earlier. Thanks for saving me – again." Sora's voice was increasingly normal-sounding, even chipper toward the end. How was he  _okay_?

The complete reversal of Sora's tone and the soft dabs of his wet paper towel on his lip hit Riku with a wave of an unwanted memory.

" _What, this? It's nothing, Riku, really. I'm fine." Amber eyes desperate for the silveret to let it go, even though he saw through the lie._   _It was difficult to ignore the cut on his cheek whose scab threatened to crack and bleed, not the first or last he'd had, what Riku feared most in his friend._

" _It's not okay," Riku said insistently, even desperately, "If you won't let me help, fine, but you need to tell someone." Riku desperately wished Mikey would let him help, fight for him, do_ _ **something**_ _. "Hell, the teachers would believe you!" Why wouldn't he get it?_

_He shook his head, black short tufts of hair swaying with the motion. But it didn't sway Riku's fury. He growled, "Mikey, why don't you fight back?"_

_He didn't reply. He never did._

_It's all bullshit,_ Riku thought, trying and failing to suppress the emotions he told himself he was done feeling forever ago.

A hand softly touched his arm and it snapped him from his reverie. Peering down he saw those cerulean eyes again and he could almost  _smell_  the ocean from a long-lost childhood trip. Everything about this brunet made him ache.

"Are you alright? I mean, I know that is like, a super silly question, but you sorta blanked out for a second," Sora asked, concern shining through his own pain.

Riku winced. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I… Look, you should really go to the nurse's office before dinner is over." He wanted to run. He couldn't be near someone who incessantly reminded him of the one person he'd like so desperately to forget.

"Oh, yeah… I guess you're right. Would… would you walk with me? You know, just in case?"

Riku gulped, but nodded. After this, he couldn't possibly let him go out alone. "Yeah, what are you gonna tell the nurse?"

The weight that he had actually punched someone was setting in, though he felt no guilt. It  _exhilarated_ him, though the sense of revenge was misplaced. He briefly wondered if Xehanort would actually tell Xemnas, and if so, if his mom would actually retrieve him from this godforsaken camp. Riku was doubtful.

"The truth, of course!"

The silveret looked again at Sora, and instantly regretted it. For a brief moment, Sora's facial expression morphed into the same one he had the other day when he first stood up to Xehanort, the burning passion for justice practically emanating from his small frame.

But then he glanced to Riku. "Except for what you did. I'll say things got rough when I was fighting back. I won't let you get in trouble for defending me." He paused, then released a small giggle, "Also, that lets me say I successfully fought back. Yay for my dignity."

He didn't care what excuse was used anymore. The sooner he could spend hours poured over his DS, the sooner he could forget this entire night, Mikey, and Sora's light rambling voice that sounded way too close to a song.

With that they left the bathroom, the night dark and ominous. Even the stars shied away from their one job like city lights were outshining them, reminding Riku that no matter where he went, he was still alone under a godless, friendless sky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading! :D Reviews make my life. Add me on Tumblr if you like? kaiserin-astraia


	4. Young Robot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter is based on Young Robot by Dance Gavin Dance.

**~ Chapter 4: Young Robot ~**

* * *

_Sora:_

The pristine, white nurse's office and it's familiar sterile smell did nothing to bring Sora out of his mind. The paper laid out across the examination table crinkled under him, but he didn't hear it. The room was cold and Sora vaguely registered shivering again. With the danger and his recent silveret savior gone, Sora's nerves had settled and decided going numb was the best option.

The nurse ushered him here as soon as he opened the door, his face a deep-set sneer. Riku left, but it's just as well; Dr. Vexen made it clear that only the injured could come in. A cold, calculating man with big, green eyes and a permanent scowl wrinkling his pale skin, Sora's immediate impression was mad scientist, not nurse. Not that he had the mental presence to question it.

It was only when Dr. Vexen held up the tool that shined a light into Sora's eyes that he gained some awareness of the events around him. The brunet flinched, and Dr. Vexen tsk-d disapprovingly. "What happened?" he asked, but there was no sympathy in the tone; only the simple need-to-know.

"U-uhm, in the bathroom, t-they–"

"They? Who is they?"

Sora gulped, remembering his promise to Riku to protect his involvement. "Xehan, Isa, and another guy, I don't know his name–" Sora rambled.

"Braig." Sora looked to Dr. Vexen in surprise, but the man just sighed, his white hair barely lifting despite his enthusiastic pivot. He went to the medical cabinet, getting various ointments and supplies.

"Go on," he commanded, and Sora sprinted into this story, "Y-yeah, so they, uh, cornered me in the bathroom and started punching me, and then they went to give me swirlies but I fought back and got out."

"What about the kid you were with?"

Sora gulped. "He saw me on my way here, said I looked like hell so..."

Dr. Vexen nodded. Sora got the distinct impression that this wasn't the first time someone had been sent to him due to Xehanort. The cotton swab with alcohol on it stung his cheek, but he tried not to show it. Dr. Vexen's gaze on his nose made him nervous.

"Your nose – it's probably fractured," he said simply. Then he sighed, "You should at least wait a week before playing sports with the others again."

Sora nodded dumbly. He hadn't thought it was  _that_ bad. But in retaliation of Sora's initial dodge from the other day, Xehanort and Braig (finally, he learned the name) made sure their punches landed this time.

Vexen continued his assessments and patching Sora up, but the brunet was already mentally gone again. Though Sora knew it must be shock, he didn't have the strength to fight it. He couldn't stop reeling from the fact that he was  _right_. It would be his luck that he'd be targeted – not just eventually, but the  _very first game_. Of course, it was because he couldn't bear to let Namine get pushed around.

It had been awhile since he felt this way. The bullying stopped at the end of freshman year after Kairi lost it, didn't it? It was the second or third time the damage wasn't concealable, and Sora didn't have makeup to hide a black eye. Sora fought every step of the way to revealing this particular  _who_ , and how  _long_ , but, in the Kairi way, she went full mother-mode on him and she dragged it all out.

Sora felt bad for Tidus. He'd had a crush on her  _for ever_ , but Kairi completely forgot that in the wake of what he'd done to Sora. She had power, being the mayor's daughter. She never abused it, but this time, she forgot her image and  _stormed_ to Tidus's house.

Sora remembered she gripped his hand so tightly the whole way there too. The brunet had just wanted to melt into the floor. When Tidus answered the door, he visibly paled.

" _Tidus, did you do this?"_  Kairi practically  _screamed_ the question into his face. Sora looked everywhere but him, but he caught the infuriated glance, and then the guilt that took over his features. The brunet looked at Kairi and felt his heart shatter to see her tears. Her eyes shone, and face had turned pink.

" _I-I- look, it wasn't–"_ Tidus tried to create an explanation, but there was none. That, at least, gave Sora some satisfaction.

" _It wasn't what?"_ Kairi hissed, " _It isn't what it looks like? It's exactly what it looks like_." Sora wanted to stop her. Her nails dug into Sora's hand painfully; he had never seen her so angry. He didn't want her to hurt over him. It was fine, Sora could handle it–

Dr. Vexen snapped his fingers in his face, and Sora flinched, the memory fading. "You can go, Sora," he said, though he looked unsure now. "Also, I will inform Xemnas of this incident. Xehanort and his friends won't bother you anymore."

Shakily, Sora stood from the examination table. The cold, jade-eyed man was already reorganizing his supplies. The brunet kept his disbelief of his statement to himself; if they left him alone, it was because of Riku, not because of whatever daddy did to reign in his delinquent.

Sora's bed called to him, and so he didn't stay to chat. "Thanks, Dr. Vexen," he said sincerely. He left when the doctor waved him away.

He made a beeline for his room, ignoring how his legs felt like jelly. Sora knew it must be nearing lights-out time in the cabins due to the oppressively dark sky overhead. It was just like that night with Kairi, even down to the clouds, threatening rain. Sora sighed, remembering the result of it all; his redhead best friend didn't talk to Tidus for a  _year_. Even despite the fact they always had the same classes together due to the population in their small town.

But, no one messed with Sora again.

The brunet paused at the cabin door, bringing out his phone to use the face camera as a mirror; he couldn't bear to go back to the bathrooms for a real one just yet. He let out a shaky breath at what he saw. Even with the blood-clean-up and Dr. Vexen's bandages, he couldn't snapchat Kairi, at least not his face. And his new friends within, well, they'd know instantly. He didn't know what to expect, but he turned the knob, accepting his fate.

Shuffling sounds erupted as soon as the door creaked open. Axel hit his head on the ceiling as he vaulted up from the bed as soon as he saw Sora, like he had been waiting for him to show. Roxas similarly clambered out of his bunk in a fervor, anger emanating from him. The brunet barely got the door closed before both Roxas and the redhead were by his side like mother hens.

"Holy shit, Sora, where have you been?" Roxas asked frantically, eyeing him head to toe in concern, eyes settling on the wounds on his face. "When you didn't come back to the cafeteria we thought... Are you okay?" Despite Sora's typical cheer, the brunet had to bite back a bitter " _What does it look like?_ ".

Axel was rubbing his head, most likely from it's untimely meeting with the wood above his bunk, but looked on with piercing emerald eyes. "Who?" he demanded.

Roxas peered at him questioningly. "Who did what?" Sora was silent for a few moments, overwhelmed. Roxas's eyes lit up in blazing anger, much more menacing than the metaphorical light bulb. "You think someone did this to him?"

"Of course I do, look at him!" Axel's voice was obviously louder than he intended, but it still caused Sora's cheeks to burn in embarrassment. "He's got a black eye!" He wanted to push through to get to his bed, but was unable to put forth the effort. The emotional toll set in as his friends put two and two together so easily, the last nail in the coffin.

"Shit…" Roxas was lost for words.

Axel filled in for the silence. "Sora, tells us what happened."

"First, let him sit down, Ax," Roxas interjected, noticing how the brunet swayed in place. Axel gave a glance of agreement, not even smiling at the blond's rare use of his nickname.

They backed off. Sora slumped out of the tense stance he had been unknowingly holding, shuffling toward his bed. He sat like a folding deck of cards, kicking off his shoes haphazardly. Axel leaned against his bed-frame, refusing to sit, while Roxas sat on his bed opposite of the brunet to give him space. They waited patiently for Sora to begin, but he didn't make them wait long.

Sora slowly began his story, honestly this time. He omitted the panic attack, but told his friends how Riku stood up for him and, improvising the story slightly, mentioned that he helped him clean up a little before going to the nurse.

"Those fucks are SO lucky I didn't bring my knives," Axel growled, eyes almost black from dilation. Unnerved, Sora flinched at the thought.

Roxas glared in agreement, but replied begrudgingly, "You'd definitely go to juvie for that, or worse."

"Wouldn't be the first time…"

"Guys," Sora said, softly, but desperately, "We shouldn't do anything. Riku already punched that one guy. Dr. Vexen said they'd leave me alone, and anyway, I don't want you guys getting kicked out for something stupid." Sora gave a pointed glare to the redhead, who glared back equally.

"Sora, you're going to let them get away with it? It's not like that bastard Xemnas is going to do shit about this."

Sora shrugged. How could he explain that he couldn't fight back? He didn't completely understand it himself. He just wanted the whole thing to be over.

Roxas added, "They deserved to pay for hurting Nami, but this is way,  _way_ too far."

Axel nodded in agreement, encouraged by Roxas. "Fine, no knives, but you have to let us do something, Sora. Or they'll keep at it. Or find someone else to push around. Trust me, I know their type."

Of course, the last thing he wanted was someone else to get hurt. Exasperated, Sora snapped, "Look, I don't care what you do, Axel. Just don't physically hurt them, or you'll get kicked out, and then I bet they'll come after me again, or even Roxas." Perhaps the situation heightened Sora's social awareness, that he knew exactly which button to push to tame the wild redhead.

Roxas moodily laid back on the bed, arms on either side like their were lonely for a weapon. "Well, I have no ideas."

Axel looked thoughtfully away, silence filling the small cabin for a few moments. Sora shuffled his feet, unsure what to do with himself. He felt a little guilty for lashing out at Axel. He wished he could pretend the whole night never happened.

Well, almost everything. He remembered Riku, how he burst in, aqua eyes shining exactly how Kairi was that night she bitched out Tidus. Like Kairi, he didn't have to save Sora… but he did. There were no questions asked. And then, when Sora lost it, he stayed. God, if he could ever get past the embarrassment of freaking out like that it'd be a  _miracle_. But the silveret saw something Sora hadn't shown anyone else – and he didn't run. He even  _helped_. Despite it all, Sora's chest was warm remembering it; he didn't know what that meant.

Sora, tired and hurting and confused, began to undress carefully, ready to remove the grimy, abused clothes from the day. The other two stayed deep in thought; it was weird, that for Sora they weren't bickering. A few minutes passed, Sora settling into his bed, but then, a wide, mischievous grin replaced the solemnity on the redhead's face.

"I'll just have to prank them, then."

Sora practically swiveled around under his sheets, the austere mood totally shattered. "Prank?"

Roxas scowled, sitting up, "What are we, twelve?"

"No, no, no, Roxy," the redhead cheerily booped him on the nose, "Think about it. Sora forbids violence. What other way is there to tear down enemies than destroy their pride? Humiliation is a powerful tool, friends."

"Wow, you are disturbingly excited about this all the sudden," Roxas replied in disgust, rubbing his nose as if it were contaminated.

Sora nodded in agreement with the blond, sighing. "I just don't understand how that would work. Won't that just make them mad again?"

Axel shrugged, "Typically, no. If we show that their fear tactics don't work, their source of power is gone and they'll run away with their tail between their legs." He seemed so confident, but Sora was doubtful. Even so, his steeled jade gaze convinced the brunet that there would be no dissuading him.

"Okay, but what's your plan then?"

The redhead smiled brightly.

"Ugh, don't encourage him, Sora –" Roxas interjected, eyes rolling.

Axel chuckled, almost evilly before Roxas could finish, "You'll see. Let me do the work. I always get stuck with the icky jobs anyway," He winked. "For now, you should rest. Roxy, will you assist me?"

Roxas narrowed his eyes, "That depends."

The redhead slung his arm around the blond happily, "Great! We'll get started tomorrow."

"I didn't say yes!"

Sora groaned, but didn't argue. They were already so engrossed into their banter that Sora could be right next to them, and they wouldn't have known. The brunet got out his phone; Kairi had snapped him five times today.

He took a picture of Axel and Roxas pushing against each other with hands interlocked as they fought-negotiated the prank. Axel had his typical wide, mischievous grin, and Roxas was blushing, frowning, but his eyes always looked happy. It was just the impression Sora got. Sora added the caption to the snap: " _That's Axel and Roxas. U'd like them."_ He also sent a Grey's Anatomy " _you're my person"_ gif to express his gratitude that she was there for him, even though he wouldn't let her be.

He felt like he was lying, but she'd freak out if she knew. Looks like he'd be sending anything but selfies until the black eye was gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Heh, sorry this one is kinda short! Next chapter is a lot longer. Thanks for reading! Leave a review if you liked?
> 
> If you hadn't noticed, this fic is gonna have excessive music references and a buttload of 2000s/2010s emo nostalgia  _sorry not sorry._


	5. Pranks

**~ Chapter 5: Pranks ~**

* * *

_Riku:_

Avoiding Sora was proving to be impossible.

It wasn't entirely the brunet's fault; his injuries meant that he couldn't play anything with a ball, considering the risk of it bouncing into his face and fully breaking his already fractured nose. But that meant he had to sit out of most activities, and Riku certainly wasn't going to participate unless forced.

Today was no exception. But did that mean he had to sit  _right next_ to Riku?

It wasn't a problem of his company; in fact, it was shocking to the silveret that he hadn't come to hate him. But that didn't assuage his general disdain for existing here, at this camp, having already gotten involved when he swore off it.

Sora watched his friends play basketball, totally content to be out of the game. He giggled when Axel spun around Roxas (Riku had been informed of all their names now, whether he wanted to know or not), who almost fell over, disoriented.

"Oh shit, it's dat boi Axel – get rekt, Roxas," Sora called to his friends, and the blond flipped him the bird. Riku rolled his eyes, trying not to smile; who talks in  _memes_?

"Riku, what's the score?" Namine asked, and Riku begrudgingly answered, "You're up by ten points."

Namine and Axel were on one team with some others while Roxas was alone on the other team. Xemnas put them into a game that purposefully lacked his son and his friends. Perhaps he was more sane than Riku had given him credit for. But, for better or for worse, it seemed that Sora had kept his promise; Riku had not been called to any offices about punching the owner's kid. The silveret was not surprised that Xehan was also silent on the topic, or if he did say, Xemnas gave no indication. Riku wasn't sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved.

"Namine scored," Sora said, leaning over with a teasing expression. Riku scowled, adding a tally to the blonde's notepad page of game scores. It was almost full, portioned out into red squares to separate different games.

"Clearly, this job is better suited for you," Riku commented before he remembered that he didn't want to say anything.

Sora retorted, "But then you'd have to play. And that's not on your list of to-do's, is it?"

Riku hated that Sora did that. It was like he  _knew_ even while the brunet knew nothing about him. "No, no, it's not," Riku replied through his teeth. He already wanted to disappear.

"Well, then, let me help; I've got literally nothing better to do." Sora's smile was the sun, and it was blinding.

"You're already helping," the silveret said finally, looking away. He checked his phone to appear busy, but there were no notifications. He was one more Sora-tease from playing  _Union Cross_ on his phone, just for the distraction and self-control.

The ploy worked; Sora went to take another picture of the teams, though when the camera went to his own face he flinched at the reflection, and quickly reversed the camera. Riku sighed.

"It doesn't look that bad," the silveret muttered. It was a lie; Sora's right eye was ringed in a dark purple, and the bandage on his nose did little to hide the swelling. His lower lip had mostly recovered, however; it was just a scab that Sora had a bad and maddening habit of picking at with his teeth.

The brunet did so, drawling the injured lip to his teeth and shook his head, eyes darkening, "Just when I thought I was done with that sort of thing, I get stuck here."

Riku knew the feeling. "Yeah," he replied, "Camp ends in what, three weeks?" It was the only comfort Riku had to offer.

"Something like that," the brunet muttered, but then sent him a strange smile. "But hey, I might look cooler if my nose heals crooked."

Inexplicably, Riku laughed despite his entire psyche telling him not to; between chuckles, he explained, "You're nose isn't  _broken_." He stopped himself from the rest of his statement, but his mind thought it:  _you get to keep the cute button nose, it's fine_.

* * *

_Sora:_

The water was cool compared to the sweltering air, but with only half his body submerged, Sora's nose got none of the cooling effect and instead had to fear the worst facial tan of his life. Inexplicably, Xemnas – well, mostly Demyx – insisted that tubing down the river would be fine despite his injuries because there were no rapids. Sora got the distinct impression that Demyx and Zexion didn't want to have to watch him separately while everyone else swam.

It was okay though, because Sora felt safe enough, surrounded by his friends and taciturn savior all in yellow blow-up tubes floating down the river. They all drifted down in a circle separate from the rest; it didn't take long for others to see Sora's injuries and begin to avoid him. Again, Sora didn't mind, though Kairi was getting suspicious. At least one snap a day consisted of her raving about how much she missed seeing his face. Sora was not deceived.

"What's so fun about  _water_?" Axel complained, bare chest facing the sky as he rested on top of his tube. It was as if the water drained the fight out of flaming spirit as he swirled water with a finger.

"Pyro," Roxas teased, flicking water at the redhead. But water seemed to tame even him; he laid across his own tube, too, letting the river carry him along. He turned a lazy gaze to his sister, grinning, "I bet you agree, though, Nami. Itching for your pencils?"

Namine giggled, splashing water with her fingers. "Was it that obvious?" Her form bobbed up and down in the water; she was too short for anything but her toes to touch the bottom.

"I  _know_  you," Roxas replied. Axel snickered at the twin's connection.

"But, this is good for inspiration," she conceded, looking around with lit up eyes, "What if I drew us all as mer-people?"

"That'd be so cool!" Sora exclaimed, leaning eagerly against his yellow tube. "We could have like, fins for ears." He demonstrated by putting his hands up by his ears, flapping them. Riku snorted in amusement behind him. Sora smiled back, sticking his tongue out.

Axel frowned, "I don't want to be a fish."

"You'd be a shark-man, Axel," Namine clarified. "You too, Rox." The two nodded appreciatively.

"I guess that would be… kinda cool…" the redhead muttered.

"What about us?" the brunet asked, pointing eagerly between him and Riku.

"Mmm…" the blonde considered, tapping her chin, "Sora, you'd be a dolphin, probably. And Riku…" She started giggling, and Sora tilted his head. She choked out, "An… octopus-man…"

Roxas and Axel instantly began laughing, the very thought giving them new energy. Riku scoffed and crossed his arms. " _What?_ Excuse you, what makes you think  _that_?"

The brunet giggled, turning to him. The silveret still barely spoke, but when he did, it always seemed an accident, like he forgot to hold onto his brooding. Which was amusing, at least a little.

"It's the purple tank top, dude," Roxas commented, grin wide and mischievous like Axel's, "it's like Ursula."

Axel barked out a laugh while Namine nodded appreciatively. Riku rolled his eyes at them, apparently having no response. Sora grimaced, like  _is that really the only reason?_ He shrugged at the silveret, sympathizing with him.

But then he looked down at his own shirt. He squinted at the blonde artist and asked, "Wait, is that why I'm a dolphin, because my shirt is blue?"

Namine blushed and lifted her arms in surrender. "I dunno, it just fit!"

Riku smirked and told Sora, "Apparently Namine translates being shirtless into being a shark." He pointed at Axel and Roxas.

The brunet pouted – sharks were cooler than  _dolphins_. "Look, I just don't want to get sunburned," Sora muttered.

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Is  _that_ why you practically bathed in lotion this morning? Geez, dude."

Axel snickered, agreeing. Sora blushed, pouting, "Well,  _I'm_ not getting skin cancer."

"It is way too early to be worrying about that," Axel counseled, his growing grin counteracting his solemn advice. With only three fingers he sent a small wave of water to the brunet, who, hindered by the calm water and the tube, couldn't dodge it.

"Ah, Axel, what the hell," Sora protested, wiping water from his face with a smile. "Now I have to change the bandage when I get back."

Axel looked like he was going to sheepishly apologize, but Sora didn't let him, splashing back with more force than intended, hitting both Roxas and the redhead.

"Oi!" Roxas cried, immediately splashing back. Namine joined in for the fun of it.

Of course, as these things go, they ended up warring on the river, though quickly it devolved into all of them splashing Sora, who unfairly started kicking waves at them.

"You asked for it, Sora!" Namine cried, gripping to her tube for dear life as she kicked excessively. Sora, laughing, backed up with little jumps on the slippery river bottom. He backed into Riku's tube, who had not joined in on their militant wave contest.

"Riku, you have to help me!" Sora whispered excitedly, fending off the others with splashes. Riku didn't respond, but had Sora right in front of him like a shield. The sight was rather amusing, just a silver bun with a set of glowering aqua eyes.

"Hey, hey, you can't use me as a meat shield and not help!" Sora protested, then looked back, "I like the bun by the way. Totally samurai."

Riku half-smiled, clearly trying his hardest not to by his colliding eyebrows. Sora and his big mouth; Sora blushed a little as he realized he said something totally weird, and was about to forget the fight he was in to apologize, but Riku pushed Sora's tube to the side.

"Oi, what–"

Riku sent out a big splash, and Sora cried out in victory even before it overwhelmed Namine, Axel, and Roxas. "Ha! Take that, noobs!" They stopped when it collided. It completed soaked all three their opponents, to the point that even Axel's crazy dynamic hair laid flat.

Roxas sputtered, and Axel pushed his drenched hair back, laughing. "Ah, of course, the secret weapon. Fuck dude, you play water polo?"

"Definitely not," Riku said, resuming his defensive turtling in his tube. "It's just that three against one is cheating."

"Yeah, exactly," Sora agreed gleefully, "Check yourself before you wreck yourself."

"You're soaked too!" Roxas protested, bumping tubes with Axel in frustration.

"Ey, what are you bumping me for?" the redhead laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. Namine joined her brother on the other side, bumping the side. "Oh, not you too, Nami."

"You started it and now my top is soaked," she said indignantly.

"Look, look, if I had fire powers I would dry you, okay? But I'm not magic," Axel explained sheepishly, but the twins kept their attack, twin evil grins. Sora leaned back to Riku, "I think they took the term double trouble a little too literally."

The silveret chuckled and Sora tried very hard not to feel pride at the accomplishment, "I see triple-trouble; might need your eyes checked, Sora."

That was the first time Riku acknowledged Sora by name.

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku finally managed to get away from  _quadruple trouble_ long enough to play his DS. He knew that, in all likelihood, Zexion would again discover him and send him out to "play", but all he wanted was  _five minutes_  without Sora's sky eyes and the laughter of his friends. The cabin was dark, but it was a relief.

But, as expected, the sanctuary didn't last long. He got maybe three missions in before he was interrupted with a knock to his doorframe, and he sighed without looking up. "I know, I'll go," the silveret said, the DS snapping closed in his uncontrollable aggression.

"Go? Go to hang out with your new friends?"

Riku's entire body tensed and he looked over in enraged horror. "What are  _you_ doing here?" he spat before he thought better of it; as soon as the question was asked Riku knew the answer.

"I work here, duh," Larxene said, hand on her hip in her lazy way. She leaned against the doorframe like her curves were a weapon. Short blonde hair and lightning, apple-green eyes, Larxene was the epitome of being twenty forever. He didn't know her real age, but her short shorts and white tank with a black lightening bolt symbol just screamed college party to him. On top of that, she had never aged as long as Riku had known her – which was always.

Riku stared back coldly, the shock worn off, and stood from his bed to lean against the wooden frame. He was almost more angry he hadn't expected this from the start. "What do you want?" Riku asked again, his voice flat-lined.

"Who says I want anything,  _Riki_?"

Aquamarine eyes glared daggers at the use of his childhood nickname. But the silveret sighed, checking his phone to see if his mom cared to warn him or not. She hadn't. "You always want something, Larx."

"It's just a small thing," she conceded, her smile victorious all too soon, "Since I'm an admin, I can't leave during the day – which is the only time anything good is open."

"What, wine not enough for you?" Riku cut in, rolling his eyes.

She scowled, waving her hand as if the idea were ludicrous. "And  _so_ I need you to take my car to the liquor store next to the gas station – it's really close, I promise – and get me some Skyy? You know my favorite flavor." She winked and Riku wanted to puke.

"No," Riku rejected the idea immediately, crossing his arms. "If it's so close you can go yourself."

"What?" she pouted, "But you're not doing anything… And you haven't been texting Deni, she's worried about you." His eyes narrowed.

Larxene was his mom's  _best friend_. For the life of him, Riku didn't understand why, but some bonds are thicker than blood and he had the unfortunate life of dealing with it, as he  _dealt with_ everything. He waited for Larx to get to her point. "She'd be really upset if she found out what you did to Xemnas's boy, is all I'm saying."

Her smile was as vicious as it ever was. She knew where to hit so it hurt – their only similarity, their shared weakness. "I don't have my fake," Riku lied, his last line of defensive against her. But she slipped a small laminated card from her back pocket and flicked it at him. It was well-aimed, and landed on Riku's bed.

"You needed a new one anyway, with your hair so long."

Riku almost became a murderer, right then and there. "Give me the keys," he growled.

For this, she tossed the metal keyring, the keys and trinkets clinking together in a mockingly bright bell-like jingle. The silveret caught it effortlessly, fisting clenching around them.

"Thanks, Riku! Oh, oh, and can you get tequila and margarita mix, too? I'll pay you back." He didn't answer but she continued anyway, voice bright, "You're a doll."

He didn't get a chance to agree or disagree, because Larxene whirled around and left. Maybe she detected he was at his limit, her keys jutting painfully in his palm – the only control he felt he possessed. But her departure gave him the silence to calm him, and he let her car keys drop onto his bed.

Then, he picked up his new fake I.D. He didn't know how, but she had somehow swiped his picture from his  _real_ driver's license. The image was the typical run-off-the-mill government portrait, with tired eyes, blank expression, and hair  _just_ the right amount of frizzy. Riku hated photos over himself in general, but of course the DMV officer knew just how to make the silveret look his worst.

He slipped his wallet out from his back pocket and retrieved his old fake. Larxene was right he needed a new one; the picture on the card was from his  _driver's permit_. His hair had just started growing out, reaching just above his shoulders, expression hopelessly blank and eyes dark from both the shadow from his hair and–

He flicked his old fake ID away, unable to look a second longer. He heard it hit a wall and fall, but where he was unsure. He didn't care. The worst part of it all was that whether he was ten, twelve, fourteen, sixteen – it didn't matter. He never looked like a  _kid_. His mom needed a responsible adult, not a child, to support her, and it was like his very  _body_ adapted to that. His silver hair, towering height, and low voice made it all too easy to fool even those closest to him. It was a tool, and a curse. Sometimes he wondered if his mom remembered his actual age – if it weren't for his high school enrollment, maybe she  _would_  forget.

The new ID took its place behind his sincere driver's license, and he slipped the wallet back to his pocket. Suddenly, the cabin room was too quiet, too empty, too much of a reminder that Riku did  _not_ belong here, surrounded by bright and adventurous teenagers, still illusioned by a bright future. There was nowhere within a hundred mile radius of him that he wanted to be, but he left the room anyway, desperate to be distracted.

* * *

_Sora:_

"A-okay everybody! And a one, a two, a one, two, three, four!" Demyx sung, his guitar slung around his body and fingers expertly hitting the chords of a camp-style song that Sora didn't recognize. Unsurprisingly, the group decided that Demyx's guitar-clad presence ultimately meant that they should move as far to the back as possible.

The rest of the crowd wasn't enthusiastic either but Demyx took no mind of it, exuberantly singing and playing anyway. The guitar was so loud he probably couldn't hear the murmurs around him. Sora recorded some for Kairi with a snicker, but then put his phone away.

"Hey, watch this," Roxas commanded with a snicker, leaning over with Axel, phone playing a video. It was some YouTube poop of Mickey Mouse – Sora laughed with equal horror and humor, and tugged on Riku's shirt to look too.

With a glance, Sora realized Riku hadn't been phased; he'd been out of it all day. He was normally absent and reticent, but the brunet just wanted him to feel included. He tugged again, pointing to the phone. "It's funny," he explained.

The silveret twitched like he was brought back from somewhere far away, and looked over. Sora smiled sheepishly.  _Whoops_ , he thought. Riku's expression was twisted in annoyance. He looked at Sora and then he just looked sad. The brunet didn't get it at all. He seemed like he was warming up to everyone just a couple days ago; what happened between now and then?

His aqua eyes fell on the video for a minute, and Sora tried to relax but couldn't. Axel laughed with Roxas, making the phone shake as Roxas tried and failed to control it. Sora knew it was funny but the awkward atmosphere killed all the humor.

Riku suddenly stood, and Sora felt panicked. "Riku, what's–" He was already strides away. Bewildered, Sora deflated.

Roxas cut in, "Probably bathroom."

The brunet nodded to agree, but knew that wasn't it. He didn't know what it was, but he suddenly felt guilty. Maybe it was something Sora did, or said. He had thought Riku was kind of like Kairi, just reserved, but maybe he was wrong.

He didn't come back.

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku didn't see it coming.

First, it was the soccer game. Then it was saving Sora. Then, Larxene decided to remind him that he wasn't free and never would be. But this? This was a new level of audacity. Whatever resided in the hidden realm above the sky clearly had it out for him. He may deserve it, but this was the last straw.

Riku, hair still damp from the most catastrophic shower of his life, threw open the cafeteria doors and didn't even flinch when the door hit the walls with a loud bang. Hellfire in his eyes, he made a beeline for Xehanort, Isa, and Braig's table, no doubt in his mind of the perpetrators. Isa and Braig didn't even have a chance to lean away from Xehan as Riku invaded aggressively. The silveret slammed his fists on the table loudly, the cafeteria breakfast plates rattling from the force.

"Alright, which one of you motherfuckers did this?" Riku barked at them, hands itching for his pocket knife he neglected to carry. Of course the day he needed it is the day he kept it in his suitcase.

The first few moments showed a myriad of expressions on the table's occupants – confusion, surprise, and even fear. They all stared directly at him as if he were an alien. Then, Isa eyed Riku's hair, but kept his expression blank. Xehanort looked annoyed and bewildered, but Braig was completely baffled, his eyebrows knit together. Then, simultaneously, the two recognized him, twin malicious smirks twisting their mouths, like ' _oh,_ ** _him_** '. Xehan glared, scoffing as if Riku's presence was a mere nuisance.

And then, Braig laughed. "Woah, what happened to your  _hair_?"

Xehanort huffed an appreciative laugh. Isa kept his cold expression, crossing his arms as if acknowledging Riku was beneath him.

This did nothing to help Riku's overflowing rage. "Why don't you tell me, you little shit, or do I need to break your jaw this time?" Riku snarled, not willing to play this game.

The other silveret scoffed in disbelief, "What, you think I did that?"

"Don't fucking try to act innocent, I know it was you."

"Uh, no, as hilarious as that is, do you think I know how to dye hair? I'm not some faggot. Is this your way of coming out? I'm flattered, really, but I don't swing that way." He actually  _winked_.

Riku's hands worked without real thought; he gripped the collar of Xehanort's shirt and lifted him with strength he didn't know he had, arm coiled back with full intent to follow through.

Before Xehan could react or Riku could swing, a familiar redhead called out, "Oi, wait, stop!"

Riku growled, tilting his head only slightly to keep his eyes on the other silveret. "What the fuck do you want?"

Axel raised his hands in surrender. "Look, look, before you go punching people, they didn't prank you."

"Get to your point," Riku asserted, glaring daggers at Roxas. Just behind Axel, he was trying so hard to hold in his laughter that his face was cherry red, hands on his sides. It only served to enrage Riku more. One minute they're trying to force him into their pity-friendship, and now this? Who else was in line to play with him?

"I-it wasn't meant for you, it–" the blonde giggled out, but his voice devolved into more laughter that overtook his statement. Riku glared at Axel expectantly.

The redhead was not amused. "Ugh, look princess, I'm sorry but it's my prank," the redhead snapped, confession lacking all sense of guilt.

Riku released Xehanort from his grip, the three villains ultimately gone from his radar. He was more surprised than he should have been. He turned fully away from the table of attackers and faced the ketchup and mustard duo. He stood there, crossed his arms, and stared coldly at them, waiting for the explanation that was sure to follow. If Riku opened his mouth it would only be a string of expletives.

Axel sighed, "It was meant for Xehanort. Not you. Silver hair, yeah? I just put the dye into the shampoo and conditioner that I thought was his."

"Are you fucking serious right now?" So  _that_ was why his shit disappeared for two days. He never left it out, but it up and disappeared. Riku hadn't cared enough to find it, and sure enough it had reappeared days later. He thought it was accidentally taken by someone; guess not. Coincidences didn't happen to people like Riku.

"Completely. Like I said, I'm sorry – really wasn't meant for you."

The silveret was torn between tackling the red right out of Axel's hair or just emotionally collapsing. He went for the later, sighing in frustration.

"…Alright, two things. First, why didn't you _check_  whose it was? And second, why the actual  _fuck_  do you think this…  _trash_  would even use our showers?  _They are_ ** _daddy's favorites_**." He pointed at them accusingly as if that would add to the argument.

"Oi!" Behind him, Braig protested the insult, but he was completely ignored.

Axel stared at him dumbfounded, perhaps taken aback by the lack of anger. Riku realized this was the most he had spoken directly to the redhead. After a moment of letting his statements sink in, a small trembling grin graced his face, quickly devolving into a poorly suppressed giggle.

"I – uh, oh shit, – wow. Uh, you make a fantastic point."

Riku raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "You didn't even think about that did you," Riku replied, voice deadpanned.

Axel dramatically put his face in one of his hands. "This is so embarrassing. No, I didn't. Wow, now I really  _am_  sorry, shit."

The silveret could hardly stand the theatrics of this guy, but it was nothing new. The blond was holding onto the redhead's arm to keep himself upright, so gone from laughter. Riku swiped his hand through his hair in irritation.

The prank was simple but well executed. Axel had, somehow, mixed a plethora of colors into his shampoo and conditioner that left a  _rainbow_  in his hair. The colors were intentionally bright and showed up  _very_ well on silver hair. Considering his target, it made sense, but Riku's identical color left him with the pride flag in his hair, starting at purple at the top that drained into blue, green, yellow, orange, and then red at the tips.

Hair dye lasted what, several weeks? The silveret remembered his mother's redhead phase – the red would fade to orange, but would never really leave without copious amounts of bleach. His hair was utterly  _fucked_.

And there was nothing he could do. The realization swept the anger away, clarity taking it's place. If he had wrecked Xehanort and his friends, he would have sunk to the same level as them. He probably wouldn't have cared, either. But –  _oh fuck_ – what would've Mikey thought? The horror at what he  _almost_  did settled down on him like a bucket of ice-water, and he wanted to run away again.

"Axel! What the hell?" Sora yelled exasperatedly at his friend, stomping up, cheeks pink. Late to the party, Riku was diverted from his self-loathing as the brunet walked up to the scene. He stopped to stand in-between Axel and Riku, gesturing to his hair. "When you said you were going to prank someone, I thought you meant  **them**!"

Riku's chest twanged painfully as Sora couldn't even look at the teens behind them, even when talking about them. Finally, his nose had stopped swelling, but his eye was as dark as ever, only the very fringes a sickly yellow. It made Riku nauseous, chest and stomach twisting. For a brief moment, he looked at Xehanort and saw himself in him, and he paled.

"I, I was! It's just that Riku used the spiked bottles so to speak…"

"Oh my god," Sora replied, appearing to be as mortified as Riku felt. The brunet turned to him.

"I am so, so, so, so sorry. I didn't even want Axel to prank  _anyone_ much less you-"

It horrified Riku, how Sora was  _apologizing_ to him, a monster in hero's clothing. "Don't worry about it, Sora. It's not your fault."  _Please stay away._

As Riku looked away and moved to leave, to run away  _again_ , Sora pulled on his sleeve. "I can fix it," the brunet asserted, hard determination in his face.

"It's hair dye, shit doesn't wash out for at least three weeks," Riku desperately replied, emotionally disarmed again and fighting memories of a raven-haired friend from surfacing.

Sora's frown twisted into a devilish grin, unnerving enough to cause Riku pause. "Bet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for reading! I like this chapter because it's 75% different than my first rewrite :)
> 
> Leave a review if you liked? :D And, if you like the tumblrs: kaiserin-astraia


	6. Stripped

**~ Chapter 6: Stripped ~**

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku was dragged to the bathroom insistently by Sora, who claimed to have a hair miracle under his sleeve. The silveret had no fight left in him, and really didn't care about his hair – or anything – anymore. As far as he was concerned, the brunet could do whatever he wanted. It was all he could do to not fall apart as it was.

"So, how are you fixing this?" Riku asked softly, his free hand instinctually brushing through his rainbow strands. The light outside glinted through them brightly, giving a stained-glass glow. As beautiful as it was, this discovery did not help, and neither did Sora's tight grip on his other hand as he pulled Riku along.

They arrived at Sora's cabin, which was across the hall from Riku's own. "Well, funny story," Sora started as he rummaged through his drawers in the cabin, "My parents left me here because they went on vacation to Japan – second honeymoon. Which means they packed alongside me."

Riku leaned against the doorframe of Sora's cabin, peering into the empty space listlessly.

"Okay…" Riku responded, waiting for Sora to finish his story. The brunet procured a navy blue and white stripped make-up bag. Riku backed out of the doorway to let Sora lead the way from the room, the quest item of the room apparently discovered.

Sora gave a brief glance back at Riku as they left, clearly asking if he needed to force Riku to follow or if he would on his own. With an exasperated sigh, Riku uncrossed his arms and trailed behind him obediently.

Sora explained as they walked to the bathrooms. "So I unpacked after they left – only to find that Mom put her hair dye kit in my bag by accident and took all my shower shit."

"How the hell does that happen?"

"I think the bags they were in were similar." He held up the bag, frowning at it. "Probably just happened in the rush." Sora shrugged. "But, hey, at least now they have use! I'm at least 95% sure she packed a color-stripper-thing."

Riku groaned despite himself, "And how much is this going to damage my hair? I don't want it breaking off my head."

"Nah, I think this stuff is what my mom uses in her salon. I'm no expert on the ingredients but I know how to use it."

The silveret sighed. It was better than he could have ever hoped for otherwise; either this or deal with rainbow hair for god knows how long. It wasn't like he could avoid Sora; he'd tried and here he was.

Sora added hesitantly, nervously, "I also have some deep conditioner she gives to clients with super long hair, so I'll give you some of that to use."

"Thanks," Riku muttered, following the brunet into the men's shower room.

The door creaked loudly as it closed behind them. Sora rolled his shoulders, "I really don't like being here now. Guess it can't be helped."

"I don't blame you… but I doubt they'll try anymore shit." That was one thing Riku could guarantee.

He giggled in reply, "Uh, yeah, I think you scared them enough." Sora's expression was almost chastising, but his smile gave away his appreciation. The silveret wanted to grimace;  _don't justify me._

Sora turned, peering into the different shower stalls. "This one is less awful than the others. Though I suspect it will be colorful as hell after this."

"If Xemnas cares, we're making Axel clean it," Riku replied wryly.

He expected Sora to defend the redhead, but Sora agreed with him: "Yeah." He pointed to the shower bench. "Well, sit down here, I'll go get a towel."

Riku compliantly sat on the bench, kind of wishing he could spontaneously disappear as he discarded his shirt nervously. He justified the action to himself because dye, much less color-stripper, would murder his favorite band-shirt.

When the brunet returned, he stared at Riku, his cheeks turning slightly pink. The silveret met his eyes posing the question "why", but he glanced quickly to the side, his mouth in a straight line. He stood there awkwardly still. Riku almost broke the silence himself, unable to stand the tension in the air, when Sora explained, "Sorry, for a second I thought I walked in a girl's shower or something, the long hair and shirtlessness and all…"

It was clearly a lie, but Riku rolled with it.

"Oh, I just didn't want to ruin my shirt. It's got my favorite band on it." Riku was astounded at himself he could say something normal.

"Which is?"

Sora never failed to ask him these types of questions, but the silveret didn't have the capacity to find a witty way around it. Still, Riku hesitated to answer, suddenly feeling vulnerable. Maybe it was just being shirtless. And in a shower. About to let a  _very cute_   _guy_  his age touch his hair.

_Just fucking kill me._ It was Riku's turn to blush slightly and look away to a random bottom corner of the stall. He crossed his arms, as if that were some impenetrable barrier around him. A little too rushed, the silveret replied, "Bring Me the Horizon."

Sora's poorly suppressed giggle carried across the bathroom, one hand on his mouth and the other on his stomach. Riku glared, already regretting honesty – why does he have to giggle like  _that_? "What's funny about that?"

"It's… wow I'm about to sound like a judgmental asshole, but damn that is  **so**  2007. Like. Flashbacks to my emo phase hardcore." And now the brunet couldn't stop the laughter, handing Riku the towel he retrieved.

Riku scowled, offended Sora would delegate his favorite and very  _active_  band to "2007". The silveret slung the towel across his broad shoulders, flipping his rainbow strands out from under the offending cotton. "Excuse you," he corrected Sora, "they came out with 'That's the Spirit' in 2015 and have been touring, like, everywhere. They are popular as fuck."

"Ooooh, I see, so you like their new music? Poser."

Riku's jaw nearly dropped; the brunet was  _playing_ with him. Instantly, he forgot himself, responding without thinking, "Oh, okay, edge-lord, what Bring Me the Horizon do  _you_  like if I'm the poser?"

"Hmm… Well. You can't go wrong with  _Chelsea Smiles_ , or  _Diamonds Aren't Forever_. Though I liked  _The House of Wolves_  and a bunch of other songs on that album. I guess that's why you have the female sacred geometry on your shirt, right, for that one? I forgot the name."

Well, that backfired.

Riku, sulking, muttered, "It's 'Sempiternal', and 'Suicide Season' came out 2008…"

Sora laughed again, "You're right. My bad. I don't really learn albums, I just listen on YouTube." Riku shook his head, emotionally whiplashed.

The brunet sat on the small step leading into the shower stall, opening bottles and mixing them in a plastic professional-looking bowl. He even had fancy brushes, presumably for putting it on Riku's hair. He concentrated on his task, biting his lip in thought again in a habit that the brunet wasn't aware of but Riku was  _too_ aware of. This was the Sora Riku couldn't handle; funny and  _cute_ and so  _teasing_ and everything he definitely didn't deserve in his life.

But something was still off. Curious, Riku continued, "I didn't think you would know Bring Me the Horizon. Kind of dark."

Sora shrugged, "I did say emo  _phase_."

"But you know Sempiternal."

"Closet emo?"

"This isn't like being gay." Though now Riku kind of wished it was.

"Do I need to steal your clothes and start wearing black t-shirts with black skinny jeans and wear guy-liner? Shave half my head?" He moved some of his hair over his face, holding it over his black-eye; he was like a brunet Zexion. But as soon as his hand moved, his hair went back to its gravity-defying spikes.

"Hey, don't steal my style." Riku would argue that he wasn't, in fact, emo, but that was another argument entirely. "Good luck with the eyeliner, though; you're on your own there."

Sora sighed, "I'd definitely poke my eye out. I'll pass."

"Just do what Axel does. The tear-drop tattoos are super edgy."

Sora pointed a brush at him, eyes narrowed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that was a compliment. So you  _don't_ hate Axel after all!"

This was the most normal conversation he'd had since… well, since he stopped talking to Sora days ago. Sora made him so  _okay_  and Riku was never okay. Riku's sigh was exasperated, and he brought a colorful lock of hair in front of his face. "That guy? … He's just an idiot."

"Thats…" Sora made a duck-faced pout, looking to the side, "not true, don't be mean. Even if he deserves it, today."

Riku laughed, and then was alarmed that he did. God, what was he  _doing_?

"Get rid of this rainbow," Riku said, smiling, "and I'll take it back."

* * *

_Sora:_

Sora was so nervous, he was shaking… more than usual. Thank god that Riku seemed preoccupied with the ceiling. The brunet blushed as he stared, remembering his immediate thought barging into the shower stall – it wasn't that Sora really thought Riku was a girl, but more that he was  _beautiful_. Sora had never had that adjective for another person before.

It didn't help him calm down. He didn't know what he was  _doing_. It was the right thing to do, to fix what Axel had done, but he told himself he'd leave Riku alone. Sora didn't know what he did, but Riku clearly didn't want to be around them. And yet, here he was, forcing his presence on him again.

But he made the silveret smile. That was his one solace as he poised a plastic brush with his creme mixture on the end above Riku's rainbow strands. He was too far in to back down now, having practically forced the silveret here. Sora realized he should get started lest it get extremely awkward. He probably looked like an airhead just standing there. So he said, faking confidence, "Ready to get your silver back?"

Riku snorted, "If I could summon a spontaneous chorus of angels to sing, I would."

He giggled back, trying to imagine clouds breaking apart in the shower to reveal Riku's divine entourage. Maybe instead of gospel they'd sing power metal, in consideration of Riku's music taste.

Gently he parted Riku's hair into three, discarding his hesitance. Unsurprisingly, his hair was soft and pleasant between his fingers. Then, from the three, he used his mother's clips to split the parts into an upper and lower layer. He started on the lower back-of-the-head region, and placed a glob of chemical on.

Silence continued aside from the shuffling of hair and the scrape of Sora's brush on the sides of his bowl. It allowed the space to be filled with Sora's incessant thoughts.

He didn't really understand, but he felt like he should apologize and had no clue where to begin. His parents told him countless times he took too much responsibility, and that no one was perfect so he shouldn't sweat the small stuff – but this wasn't a small thing, was it? The color stripper would take out most the color, since the dye was fresh and not permanent, but Sora was highly skeptical that it would all completely come out. What if Riku hated him? Forever? Something about that thought he couldn't stand.

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Hey, so, uhm, I'm sorry about all this… about Axel, and especially about freaking out after you saved me and I," Sora's hands continued their shaking, mortified that his voice sounded so rushed and panicked, "I totally get if you want us to just leave you alone after this so I'm sorry for being so pushy—"

"Woah," Riku tried to turn, but Sora gripped his hair harder and made a surprised squeak, which was sufficient to get him to stop. He turned back. Did Sora catch a glimpse of dark cheeks? "First off, I'm not avoiding you or your friends because of the panic attack. That never crossed my mind. Ever."

Sora gulped, more confused.

"And you had no control over what Axel did. I mean, it was obvious that it was a mistake. It's annoying as fuck, yes, but here you are, cleaning up his mess so there's literally nothing I can hold against you."

Sora's entire chest filled with warmth, immensely relieved. Sora let out a breath he didn't known he was holding, his ears hot. Despite the absolute mess of words Sora had spewed, Riku managed to parse it; the brunet didn't know how he did it, but it was disarming and fascinating and so very  _Kairi_ that Sora thought maybe he wasn't so wrong after all.

"Oh," Sora replied quietly, "thank you."

Riku nodded. Sora wished he could see his expression, confused even still. Letting curiosity get the better of him, he pressed, "Then, what is it? Like, I really thought you hated me."

The silveret sighed. Waiting for a reply, Sora clipped up the lower back section of hair and moved to the right side, continuing the slow work. His new position allowed him to see Riku's face. It didn't help; it was stoic. The only indication of his mood was his arms crossed across his chest. His turquoise eyes betrayed his stony expression and looked down, deciding how much to say.

"When I found you in the bathroom I was terrified. Not for you, but me." He tilted his head away, as if desiring to limit Sora's view of him. "I'm no better than Xehanort, Sora. Even today, I…"

"Riku…"

"I just – but I couldn't just walk away. Now you think I'm some sort of hero but I'm not. I'm a fuck up. I don't want to drag you into it. So…" Riku let his arms drop to his lap defeatedly. "That's why it's better if we aren't friends."

Sora paused, carefully placing Riku's chemical coated hair in a spot that wouldn't drip. The twinge of regret in the silveret's voice gave him some confidence. He was unsure how his voice would sound when he said this, but it needed to be said. The brunet plopped on the ground in front of him, crisscross-apple-sauce.

"Riku… you are  _not_ Xehanort. And you don't have to be a hero. That's  _why_ you are my friend, because friends help each other." Sora blushed, realizing too late he was already saying too much, "And anyway, it's already too late, you're my friend, so…"

At that moment, instead of Riku being Kairi, Sora became Kairi. She said the  _exact same thing_  to him, so many years ago. Sora had no choice to be her friend, and now, Riku had no choice in this either. Sora never thought of himself as forceful, but he would be, for the silveret that had the courage to raise his fists when Sora didn't, for the silveret that got rainbow hair but still only cared about protecting Sora from some imaginary enemy he thought he was.

Riku looked straight at Sora, eyes a little widened, making the brunet self-conscious. Did he really just say all that? Sora meant it, but maybe that was what was so frightening about it. Riku seemed lost for words, mouth slightly parted like he was going to say something but never did. Sora added hastily, ears hot again, "I mean, at least for the summer. It can't hurt to let us have your back… right…?"

Riku breathed out like a deflating balloon, and huffed out a laugh of disbelief. Shaking his head, he looked forward and sighed again with a small smile. "I guess you're right."

Sora took that as a victory.

He stood again, unable to bridle his smile, grabbing the brush to resume his hair-saving initiative. Sora didn't understand his determination with the silveret or why he was so nervous or how the cogs of his world suddenly started grinding forward, but here he was.

He was worlds away from sure about anything. Uncertain what to say, Sora opted to lull complacently into the silence.

Quietly, enough that Sora doubted that it came from his companion and not his own mind, Riku whispered, "Thanks."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ah... I love my emo boys. Thanks for reading! c:
> 
> Leave a review if you liked? :D And, if you do the tumblrs: kaiserin-astraia


	7. Curiosity

**~ Chapter 7: Curiosity ~**

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku returned to the group with no questions, and little fuss – aside from the redhead's sarcastic " _well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in._ " Riku didn't contest it; he deserved as much for being an ass.

Currently, Riku was the meat shield to protect Axel from an onslaught of cafeteria bread.

"Stop using Riku to protect you! I know where you sleep!" Roxas yelled, bread in hand and arm wound back, ready to strike.

Axel peeked over Riku's shoulder, only his eyes visible, crouched behind him. "What, are you planning to visit?" His tone clearly suggested more than "visiting" the room, which only served to rile Roxas up more.

"No, you pervert! What is wrong with you?!"

Axel pretended to be on the verge of tears, "So many things, Roxy, please cure me!" His overdramatic pose, arm over forehead, leaning back as if struck, exposed the redhead enough for Roxas to fire.

Roxas growled and threw the bread. Riku practically used dark magic to dodge, his movement like a teleportation out of the way. Even still, the edible weapon failed to meet its intended mark. Upon this realization, Roxas miraculously procured even more small balls of bread, throwing them at the pace of a machine gun. The smaller ammunitions hit Axel harmlessly in the chest, the redhead laughing all the while walking calmly to his seat surrendering in the battle.

Clearly, Roxas's anger amused Axel to no end, which was fine with Riku, but he'd rather the redhead keep him out of it.

Having been stoic the entire time, feigning disinterest, he only amended his stance when Sora showed with his lunch, sitting to the right of him.

"At it again, huh?" he asked cheerfully.

"It never ends."

"Your dodge was impressive though."

"Desperate times."

Sora giggled, turning his attention to the food in front of him. Today it was a little microwavable pizza, an apple, a small loaf of bread, and a carton of milk. With Sora being the only bread-owner, suddenly Roxas's source of ammunition was made clear. Mystery solved.

"Roxas, you took my bread," Riku stated.

Roxas, mid-angry-sentence with Axel, stopped immediately and turned to Riku with a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Riku, I got carried away again… BUT YOU DESERVED IT." The last "you" was referring to Axel, to whom Roxas turned toward again. Axel had both hands up but a cocky smile.

Riku had to make an effort not to laugh.

Sora on the other hand didn't hold back, chortling at their ridiculous exchange. The silveret couldn't help but wish that he was funny, to make Sora laugh more like that. His full smile, pink cheeks, and bouncy hair was the epitome of adorable, even with his black eye and the thin bandage across his nose-bridge.

Not that he should be thinking about that. Riku couldn't help but feel disappointed.  _Only a week left, huh…_ He could return to dealing with Larxene and her whims, then, when Sora's laughter wasn't there to lift up the world from Riku's shoulders.

"Are you okay, Riku?" Sora touched his arm, near the elbow, in concern. Not paying attention and therefore unprepared for the contact, the silveret felt a shiver running up his spine. This was going to be difficult.

Riku turned and gave him a hopefully convincing smile. "Yeah, I was gone but now I'm back."

"Where'd you go?"

"Space."

_"Stooooop drifting in outer space over there, Riku! Just come over here and watch 'Pride and Prejudice' with me," his mom said, patting the side of the couch over-enthusiastically and clumsily._

_Riku sighed. "Mom, you're drunk. We've watched it, like, ten million times."_

_The silverette pouted. "Bu-but Riiiiiii… It's my favorite. And I'm depressed. Please?"_

_He lifted himself out of his chair at the kitchen table, listlessly staring at nothing and sipping his coke. "You want something to drink?" he asked, not waiting for a reply before heading to the refrigerator._

_"Mm… make me a jack and cok–"_

_"Water it is," he asserted, putting a bag of popcorn in the microwave for himself. She'd fall asleep forty minutes into the movie anyway. It was just like clockwork._

_When he settled onto the couch next to her, she leaned on his shoulder. "He was such a jerk, Riku. Why are all the guys I like jerks?"_

_"I don't know," Riku replied tiredly, navigating the TV to the BluRay player that still had the 'Pride and Prejudice' disk within it. He pressed play and put the popcorn on the coffee table in front of them._

_After forty minutes, a couple tears, and mumblings of Kierra Knightley's lines later, she was asleep. With another sigh he gently leaned her onto the other side of the couch and wiped her cheeks of the streams of tears that were slow to dry. She weakly protested, but was too inebriated for much other than a wrinkle of her nose. He picked her up bridal-style to carry her to bed, thinking about how long he'd have to drift in space again before he could fall asleep._

Sora booped him on the nose. "Nothing out there but debris. Stay here." Riku blinked several times, completely displaced from his mind and touched.

"KYAAAAAAAH!"

They turned in unison to Namine, who suddenly screeched. The fire in her eyes was unmistakable. Well, at least someone could express Riku's feelings. Roxas turned to her, terrified.

"Wh-what was that?" Roxas asked, Axel peering over his shoulder in mild curiosity.

Wordlessly she whipped out her drawing pad (where on god's green earth was she keeping it?) and started sketching furiously, glancing throwing knives at the Sora and Riku in rapid fire.

Riku glanced at Sora. He shrugged, unfazed by her outburst. Axel leaned back to peek at Nami's work. Slowly a grin took over his face, much like the one he flashed at Roxas when toying with him.

"Hell yeah, I ship it!"

Namine blushed, but didn't stop drawing. Roxas groaned and put his head in his hands. It was clear he didn't need to see the art to know what it was about. "Why must you pair up all my friends? Why? What did I ever do to you?"

"I could list a few things." Her casual tone betrayed her frantic scribbling.

Roxas glared glumly in reply. She continued gleefully, "That's not why though!"

"Did we do something to inspire you, Namine?" Sora asked innocently, talking in between bites of fruit as his eyes sparkled in their simple contentedness. How fitting.

Obviously, the lightbulb hadn't come on in Sora's head, but Riku had suspicions, having glimpsed at a couple of her drawings before from his many, many games playing referee. He got up and walked around to the other side to spy on the work. Curiosity caught the cat…

"Oh, god, Riku don't come over here. You don't want to see it. Please for the love of all that is pure and good and holy…" Roxas pleaded, but it wasn't dissuasive enough.

His sharp eyes fell on the rough sketch. Instantly, Axel was falling out of his chair laughing, while Riku could only stand there face cherry red.

…And satisfaction brought it back.

* * *

_Sora:_

Sora just couldn't leave Riku alone.

"How's the hair looking?" Sora asked, scooting closer to him. Before Riku could answer, he removed the black beanie the silveret had chosen to wear today. It was too hot for the garment anyway.

"Oh by all means, don't take my word for it," Riku replied, turquoise eyes twinkling in amusement. He pushed back the stray hairs that escaped his ponytail, riled from the beanie removal. Meanwhile, Sora acted like a monkey, closely inspecting his hair looking for spots of discoloration. He tried to ignore the warmth in his chest that Riku didn't pull away.

"Well, the scalp looks fine since the purple and blue are cool colors…" Sora muttered.

"It's really just the ends that bother me. They still look kind of pink," Riku joined, pulling his long ponytail towards his face to see.

"I'd cut that part for you, but I think a salon could do a better job of fixing the color," Sora replied, frowning.

The silveret snorted in amusement, "Like I have money to go a salon."

Sora felt a pang of guilt. "Oh, right. My mom is a hairdresser so I never have to pay."

"Lucky. Seems kind of wasted on you," Riku teased.

"What! No." Sora tried to push his brunet spikes down to prove the point, but his unruly mane stubbornly bounced back as soon as his hand lifted. He couldn't help but pout at his failure.

Riku smirked. "Don't worry about it. If I get sick of it I'll ask you to cut off the pink part. It's only a few inches anyway."

The two sat side-by-side jointly refereeing another soccer game. Xemnas insisted that Sora take it easy, even though the bandage on his nose was really just for show at this point and his eye finally just had a yellow splotchy tint around it. But sitting out was fine by Sora; the brunet acutely felt the hourglass draining on his time with everyone.

"So… what does your mom do?" Sora tried to ask casually, reaching over to take the notepad from the silveret's lap. Even without looking, Riku pulled it to the opposite side of the unsuccessful thief. Sora pouted, desperately wanting to know what Namine had drawn the other day, but Riku protected the blonde's work with a smirk.

Then, Riku glanced over, unsurprised by the question. It wasn't the first personal question Sora had asked. "Nothing fun like your mom. She just kind of does whatever that pays the bills."

No dice. Sora lost this time – on both initiatives. If Riku were keeping score on this, he'd be winning.

Sora decided to move on for now; maybe it was something he'd like to keep secret. Everyone had them. "That's fair enough." He swiped at the drawing booklet from behind Riku, but his long arm darted up; without standing, Sora couldn't reach. The brunet tsk-d. "By the way, how many more days do we have?" Sora tried to forget that he'd be alone once this was over.

Riku looked wistful. "3 days?" He leaned far away to avoid standing to thwart Sora's next, standing, attack. His expression warped back to his sly, amused grin.

"That's so soon!" Sora pouted, "Just when things were getting fun, too." He sat down with a frustrated huff, crossing his arms. Riku snickered.

"Yeah," he said, recovering, "Though home would be nice, too." The silveret didn't sound like he was referring to himself, but Sora shrugged.

"Uh, well, don't tell my best friend but I don't have anything really waiting for me at home."

Riku glanced sympathetically. Sora continued, "At least here I made friends, and I can be… myself, I guess." The brunet rubbed the back of his head timorously; as usual, his mouth spoke more than he had intended.

"What about your best friend?" The silveret seemed genuinely surprised, but Sora was equally surprised, appreciatively, that he cared to ask. But it was a complicated question.

_They all watched him with wary eyes. A million lights in a small, black, infinite hall. They had all heard about him, whose mom went to prison on drug possession charges – not her first offense. Sora was ashamed, that he knew what it even meant, while everyone around him could only wonder with that innocent fascination. But they'd alienate him. They'd hate him. He was a freak. He was dangerous, and he could never sit still, and he just_ **_couldn't stop shaking_ ** _–_

_"Sora?" a familiar voice called. He turned, relieved as the dark slowly alleviated to a seeable shade. Kairi ran up to him from the other side of the hall. Sora focused on breathing. The eyes were in his mind. It was just other students._

_The short-haired redhead, a fellow sixth grader, rested her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. "Are you ready?" she asked, her blue eyes, so deep they were purple in some lights, sparkling in excitement._

_Sora laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "For what?"_

_"Sixth grade, of course! We're not kids anymore, Sora!" She pumped her fists and her smiled infected Sora's own lips. He couldn't disappoint her, or tell her how scared he was._

_"Sure, Kai, but that just means we'll have more homework."_

_She stuck her tongue out at him. "Ah, whatever, it'll be fun, party-pooper. Hey– I think that's Selphie. C'mon, Sora, let's find our_ **_lockers_ ** _!"_

Sora cleared his throat, trying to find the words to articulate. "Sh-she's… different. And all I got, so…"

"Me, too," Riku replied. His smile was genuine but his eyes were sad.

Sora wanted to ask what he meant, whether if he had a best friend he wanted to be strong for, or if he just didn't have many friends. Somehow, he knew the silveret wouldn't answer. So instead, he allowed the similarity between Riku and him cause Sora to break out into giggles. "I guess I'm still emo after all," he said, explaining himself, "we're two peas in a pod."

"No emo would ever say that."

"This one did!" He winked playfully. Riku shook his head and looked away, though there was a faint smile on his face.

* * *

_Sora:_

Three days came and went quickly. They stayed up the night before, sneaking Namine and Riku into Sora, Roxas, and Axel's cabin, playing chess and a rather pathetic iteration of Truth or Dare. Nevertheless, none of them got sleep – though Sora passed out at about midnight, having never stayed up before. He had to wash his face when he awoke; someone – likely Axel – drew a heart and little flame on his face.

"Aww, why did you wash it off? It was perfect," Axel complained, the flame of mischief dimmer in his eyes today. Sora smiled, elbowing the redhead, "Look, I'm not cool enough for face tattoos."

"You flatter me," Axel waved the comment away, but his smile was genuine and grateful.

They all sat outside at a table that gave them sight of the entrance of the camp, awaiting their fates, though Sora knew his. He was there for support. Sounds of clinking metal pans emanated from the cafeteria behind them; the kitchen staff were already cleaning. Across them were more park-like tables, many of them full of other campers with their tabletops piled high with suitcases and paraphernalia. The scene really drove home  _the end_. The brunet didn't realize he'd be so disheartened to say goodbye.

Running on little sleep did not help to lighten the mood. Even Namine had her drawing pad on the table, pencil in hand, but hadn't drawn a single line. She looked glumly out towards where the sun rose earlier.

"I'm kind of sad to go," she said, slumping and leaning on her brother, Roxas.

He put a hand on her head affectionately. In a rare show of levelheadedness, he replied, "Me, too."

Axel flicked open his lighter for the fifth million time and lit it, looking blue as well. Riku was back to brooding in silence for the morning, playing a game on his phone. It was such a complete reversal from the night before, when they all sat around Sora with wide grins.

_"C'mon, c'mon, let's take it off! Proof it'll take more than that to knock you down!" Namine encouraged the brunet, bouncing in her spot next to him on his bed._

_Axel nodded enthusiastically, his smile showing teeth. "See if you got any cool scars."_

_Sora realized none of them had seen his nose without the bandage after he went to the nurse, and Dr. Vexen was the only one who exchanged the bandages. He snickered, "Okay, it was fractured, it wasn't cut."_

_Riku joined, "Crooked, then."_

_"You know that's highly unlikely," Sora retorted, blushing. Riku remembered his comment – he paid attention more than the brunet thought._

_"C'mon, Sora, do it, already," Roxas added, his voice aggressive but kind. Sora shook his head in embarrassment, but said, "Alright, alright!"_

_It was rather ridiculous, that they were making an event out of taking off his nose bandage, but Sora's chest was warm at the gesture nonetheless. The bandage wasn't super sticky and so he was able to rip it off easily and painlessly – as the saying goes, like a bandaid. He held it up like a trophy and smiled._

_"Hey, looks good!" Roxas encouraged, high-five-ing Sora immediately. The brunet obliged, smiling back shyly. Namine and Axel started clapping, and Sora couldn't help but giggle._

_The redhead snickered, "Though you did tan a little."_

_Namine slapped his shoulder, "It's barely noticeable, Axel." He shrugged and kept snickering, adding, "Whatever, it's cool!" The brunet failed to see what would be cool having a pale rectangle across his nose bridge, but whatever._

_Sora then looked to Riku naturally, wanting his opinion, though he couldn't explain why. The silveret was smiling too, giving him a thumbs-up with warm eyes. "Same nose," he said. Sora lightly tapped either side of it; no pain, and it felt straight. He guessed he worried for nothing. "Thanks…" Sora hoped they wouldn't see his eyes watering, "Everybody, thanks."_

But now they were all lost in their inevitable return to their homes. Sora didn't want it to end on this note; what could he do to lift everyone's spirits? Why did this have to be a final goodbye? Suddenly, he got an idea – it could be temporary. It wasn't perfect, but it was something.

"Why don't we exchange numbers?" Sora asked, whipping out his cell phone.

"Oh you want our numbers now? Not just going to snapchat our tears?" Axel teased. He made a dramatically sad face, and Namine giggled.

"Aw, I'm not that mean," Sora protested, blushing.

"You have to promise not to drown us in memes," Roxas warned, arms crossed, but he was grinning. Sora nodded, wondering what exact number was "drowning" with a pout. The blond laughed, and Axel reached over to ruffle his hair. If Sora were Roxas, he'd have protested vehemently at the contact, but he appreciated the gesture.

The redhead dropped his phone into Sora's hands. "Gimme your digits."

It plopped down, light and almost exclusively grey plastic. "Oh, my god, Axel, this phone is  _ancient_! Is this a Nokia?" Sora could barely hide his excitement.

Axel scoffed, "I'm sure if they sold those I would have it. No, this is the dumbest smartphone on the market."

"I can barely find the contacts," Sora commented, amazed. Riku leaned over and pointed at an archaic "messages" symbol. Sora muttered thanks, and added his number before handing it back, feeling better.

Namine outstretched her hands, wiggling her fingers, "Me too, me too!" Laughing gratefully, Sora gave her his unlocked phone.

While he waited for Namine to finish he watched expectantly as Axel attempted to hand his electronic brick to Roxas. The blond hesitated, cheeks flaming into pink immediately and he crossed his arms. Sora waited for their banter to begin, but Axel had no witty ignition this time. The redhead hesitated. Roxas glanced everywhere but to the redhead, clearly unsure what to do now that they were off their normal script.

Sora wasn't sure what to say, but after a beat of awkward silence, Namine saved the day. She handed Sora's phone back to him and scooted to the redhead. Sora had to make an effort not to laugh when the redhead's face turned to her, an exaggerated pout twisting his features like a cartoon.

"Gimme that, Axel!" she said, swiping the phone from him. She winked at his ridiculous expression, and Axel sobbed, "Nami, you're a saint."

"I know."

The exchange came just in time. Just as she handed his electric brick back to him, his name carried down the gravel path in a foreign voice. "AXEL!"

Almost instantaneously, Axel's entire demeanor changed. It was as if he folded into himself with just his aura. His shoulders squared defensively and stood stiffly, glaring over his shoulder.

A bulky man with hair slicked back in a familiar crimson shade, deep blue jeans and a black polo approached. His eyes were a yellow-ish hazel, lacking the brilliance Axel's jade eyes possessed. Despite the fact that they clearly shared blood, it was hard to imagine Axel ever achieving the muscle mass of this man; he was a twig in comparison.

"Let's go," he said, his voice indifferent but commanding. Sora fell silent sitting next to Axel, glancing nervously between them.

"Already? Aww, so you missed me?" The brunet swallowed; Axel voice was completely ice.

"Don't be stupid, boy."

The redhead didn't look surprised by the rebuttal, and slung his bag over his shoulder, standing. Sora's eyes widened like saucers, flinching in shock. He glanced to the others, hoping he wasn't the only one bewildered by such a curt, cold response. Roxas looked horrified. Namine wouldn't lift her eyes to the man, and Riku silently glared over his phone, lips pursed.

"Sheesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Axel muttered, sheepishly ruffling the hair at the back of his neck. Then he turned back to Namine, Roxas, Riku, and Sora. "I guess this is where I make my leave. You all have my numbers so… Well, see ya."

He cleared his throat and turned, waving his hand in an offhand brunet just now noticed: for a month or so stay, his bag was remarkably slack. They all muttered goodbye. The man, perhaps Axel's father but Sora dared not to believe it, walked away in front of Axel without so much as a glance at the rest of them. Roxas angrily glared at the ground, fists clenched.

Sora made a note to himself to text Axel a better goodbye, or rather a promise of many more hellos. He didn't understand what just happened, but the redhead certainly didn't deserve it.

Axel's departure left the remaining four quiet, defaulting to watching YouTube videos on Roxas's phone as they waited, but the blond failed to laugh.

Sora was surprised when it was the twins' parents that arrived next some forty minutes later, and in complete tangent to Axel's. They approached the two jovially, waving with happiness radiating from their forms. It was obvious where Roxas and Namine got their genes; their mother, a blonde haired, blue eyed, tall and slender woman, looked like an older version of Namine. She even wore a white blouse with her light blue jeans, her mouth in the same soft smile.

Their father, wearing a laid back and mischievous grin, called out as he sauntered up to their table, "Hey kiddos! Ready?" His hair was  _orange_ and held a grassy plain in his happy eyes.

Roxas immediately replied, still sullen, "Yeah, whatever."

Namine practically jumped up and off the table and skipped to her parents, hugging them warmly. "Don't mind him, he's grumpy because he was a brat this morning."

If Sora had been drinking something, he would have spit. Who abducted Namine and left this imposter in her place? And yet their mother laughed. "Aww, now, Namine, don't be mean to your brother!" The father reached over and ruffled Roxas's hair. Begrudgingly, the blonde allowed it. Sora almost coughed in disbelief.

"Don't worry about it, you'll be back in two weeks anyway," their father said, trying to draw a reaction from his son by poking him in the ribs. It wasn't working, but Sora was blindsided by what the man said.

The brunet, unable to restrain himself, blurted out, "What? They're coming back?"

Nami replied for the group, "We would have stayed before the next session starts but I have an painting competition to do, and Roxas is trying out for a Struggle team."

"Wow, Namine, is there anything you  _can't_  do?" Sora asked in amazement. She waved her hand over her face, blushing.

"She's good, right? But after all that, they'll be back," their mother finished. Sora could barely hide his shock and glee. Now this was a miracle!

Not skipping a beat, their dad chimed in before Sora could say anything, "So, Rox, did you practice at all? Wipe the floor with them?"

Roxas scoffed, his brooding ebbed as the attention turned to him. "Hardly. We played soccer most the time."

"You better be prepared then. We'll play when we get home," his father replied, smile wide and fire in his eyes. Truly, Sora wondered who was the kid and who was the parent.

Roxas finally stood, gathering his things, "You're on." He turned to Sora and Riku. "I guess this is goodbye?"

Sora handed him his phone, not taking no for an answer. Roxas hesitated, but put his information in, blushing. "Y-you can pass my number on to Axel."

"Already done!~" Namine sang.

He practically whipped around. "Oh what?! Why, you—"

Sora laughed, but cut him off. "It's not goodbye anyway. I'm staying too."

Roxas groaned, beaten, "You guys totally got me. Ugh." Still, he looked relieved. Sora laughed again, feeling lighter than before.

"Time to go," their mother reminded them, gently, "looks like you have something to look forward to coming back!"

Roxas just rolled his eyes, but smiled his agreement. "See you later then, dorks."

"Bye for now!" Namine called.

"See you," Sora replied, already excited to see them again. Riku waved with a small smile.

When the family was out of sight, Sora returned to his spot next to Riku. Most kids were gone now and Xemnas, Demyx, Zexion, and some other staff were waiting closer to the front to greet parents. Sora sighed and gazed up listlessly; he didn't look forward to the two weeks of solitude.

The sun was aspiring for more height in the sky, but the temperature hadn't reached its peak yet. It was cool where they were; the table was thankfully shadowed by a nearby tree. Riku sat blissfully at the table, phone put away and head resting on his hand. He seemed surprisingly content; was he happy to go home? He'd even neglected to put his hair up in a ponytail today. Through glints of light filtering through the trees, parts of his pastel hair shimmered. Despite himself, Sora couldn't help but smile at the rainbow glints leftover from Axel's prank. The brunet was momentarily swept away by longing; he wished Riku were coming back, too.

Sora turned to Riku, curious. "Hey, why didn't you give your phone number to Roxas?"

"They didn't ask." Riku smiled in amusement, like he already knew where the conversation was heading. A cat that caught the canary.

"Well, we were all kind of exchanging." The brunet tried to cover up his disappointment with a critiquing voice, but it didn't work very well, even to his own ears.

"That's true," Riku conceded, performing a casual leap from the table with a sly grin. He brushed off dirt from his pants, though Sora was doubtful any was there. He continued, "but now there's no need."

"What? Wait, where are you going? We should wait for your parents."

"I'm staying too," he said frankly, though there was definitely a lightness to his voice. He started walking towards the gate, pausing to wait for Sora. "We should go ask Xemnas what he wants us to do."

Sora sat there, dumbfounded for at least a second and a half.  _Riku, and me, staying…? We'll be together all summer?_ The information sank in like the first bite of his favorite ice cream. A huge grin took over Sora's face, and he practically launched himself over the table like a spear with new energy.

"Yeah!" He couldn't wait to tell Kairi.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: laughs in the hidden This concludes "part one" of YAMM; chapters 1 - 7 is part one, chapters 8 - 12 is part 2, and then chapters 13 - 20(?) is part three. I'm very excited!
> 
> Did you like this first part? Where could I improve? (Personally, I think the characterization of Namine is kinda weak, but she doesn't have a lot of 'screen time' per say, so... here we are)
> 
> Thanks for reading! :D Tumblr: kaiserin-astraia


	8. No Room To Breathe

**~ Chapter 8: No Room to Breathe ~**

* * *

_Riku:_

" _Oh my god, Sora, what happened to your nose? That's why you didn't let me see your face for_ ** _forever_** _? Did someone hurt you? I will kill them, Sora._ ** _Kill them_**."

A female voice echoed with a high-pitch distortion from Sora's phone. Whoever it was, her threat was overshadowed by the evil-chipmunk voice, and Riku glanced as Sora sighed at the person's cyber threats. The brunet rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

He stared into the phone like taking a selfie, but started talking, "Kai, this is why I don't tell you these things, because you turn into a murderous psychopath. But it's fine now, they're gone. I think."

Riku almost told him that he saw Xemnas lead Xehan through the front gates with a woman that was likely his mother, and that Braig and Isa were picked up as well, but Sora didn't let him.

"Riku," the brunet whined, and the silveret flinched;  _god,_ was his voice  _ever_ not melodic? "You said it looked fine, but the tan marks are noticeable, aren't they?"

Riku pretended to be occupied with his phone. Sora was laid across his bed while Riku sat on Roxas's old bed, because Xemnas told them to wait for him to prepare a room for them and they had nowhere else to be. "Err, I didn't really notice," Riku lied, resisting the urge to get  _just one more_ peek at the cute tan-less strip of skin across Sora's nose.

His nonchalance backfired; the brunet clambered up and plopped himself next to Riku on the bed. With a frown, Sora showed Riku the clip he recorded. The silveret was confused; why was Sora's nose covered with a black animal's with light brown fur around it, and why did two bear ears rest atop his head? When the clip played, Sora's voice was high-pitched like the girl's from moments before.

"See?" Sora said, "Even with this filter you can see it!" He pouted, and then sighed at the phone, pressing the send button anyway. "When I get back, Kairi is gonna kill me."

"I highly doubt that," Riku responded, chuckling. Sora was about to retort but he got another notification on Snapchat. Riku didn't understand why they didn't just text, but said nothing as Sora pressed the notification.

" _Murderous psychopath?"_ a redhead with the bear ears and nose that Sora had scoffed, " _That is a gross exaggeration. More like…"_ She paused, blushing as she realized she didn't have a rebuttal. Her eyes were like Sora's, though maybe a little deeper, but just as kind. The silveret couldn't tell if that was due to the 'filter'. " _Well, whatever, I'm not that bad! And hey, are you going to be alone for two weeks? That's way too long!"_

Sora giggled this time. "That's Kairi."

"I could tell by her name 'KaiSky'," Riku informed the brunet, pointing.

"Oh, right," Sora laughed, tilting. Their arms brushed, and Riku sighed.

Just them for two weeks? He didn't know if he could take it, but he didn't think Sora would give him a choice. He didn't understand what the brunet saw in him to begin with. If it wasn't a hero illusion, then what was it?

"Hey Riku, say hi!" Sora commanded, having already started his next snap to Kairi. Not really registering the reality, Riku looked at the device blankly, watched his face transform from the filter, and immediately put his own phone over his face to hide. The brunet giggled, "Aww, come back!" He tilted the camera back onto himself more, "Anyway, he's still here, so I'm not alone."

The silveret pursed his lips. He wanted so badly to be annoyed, but he couldn't bring forth the emotion. He never let even his own mom take pictures of him; he couldn't stand the monster hiding in his eyes that photos always seemed to show.

Sora didn't seem to notice though, rewatching the clip before sending it to his friend. "Ha, you looked good with the ears," he said simply, snickering, "like a grumpy bear."

Riku snorted and replied before he thought better of it. "Then that makes you a baby bunny."

"What? Am not. Look, I'll show you the bunny filter." Sora did it before Riku could argue, snapping a selfie and showing Riku. Sora had pink bunny ears and whiskers. His blue eyes were crossed and his tongue peeked out the side of his mouth.

He wondered if Sora's friend would be willing to kill Riku before Sora did.

"Thats…" Riku said, desperately trying to hide his awe. "You're such a fucking doof, Sora." There was no malice in his voice at all.

The brunet giggled, rubbing the back of his head. "Guilty as charged. So do I win?"

Riku didn't honestly know what Sora was winning but he knew he had, and probably would for the rest of their arguments forever at this rate.

But before Riku could find some means of recovery, someone knocked on their doorframe. "Riki~," Larxene called, and the silveret froze.

Sora leaned over to view the blonde in the doorway, and glanced at Riku in confusion. He mouthed, " _Riki?_ " But the silveret didn't respond to him.

"What, Larx?" the silveret growled, standing from the bed to face the lightening queen. Sora must have followed, because her piercing green-apple eyes danced between the two. Her lips curled into a wicked grin.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, winking at Sora. It was like she  _knew_ already, and the silveret wanted nothing more for her to disappear. But she continued, "You and this cutie are being relocated in a staff lodging while these cabins are cleaned up."

The brunet looked bewildered and concerned as he glanced between Riku and Larxene. The silveret dreaded the questions that would inevitably follow. But Riku replied, "Well, it's about time. Are you going to tell us where it is or what?"

She rolled her eyes, and spoke to Sora. "There's no patience in this one, kid." Riku glared icily in warning. After a quick giggle, she threw him room keys. "That's your room key. I promise the bed there will be more comfortable than this one." She gave another wickedly suggestive glance at Sora.  _If she does that_ ** _one_** _more time…_

He felt Sora's gaze on him and decided to flee to fight another day. "Whatever," Riku said, sighing, forcing his body to relax. "Just give us a bit to gather our stuff and we'll head over."

"Of course," Larx agreed, voice sickly sweet, "Oh, and before I forget, you're allowed to eat whatever from the staff lounge and there's a closet with TV's and stuff." Despite the kind gesture, the silveret couldn't bring himself to thank her.

Sora hesitantly does it for him. "U-uh, thanks," he said.

"Anytime," she replied, winking again. Then, she waved and finally walked away, her flip-flops slapping the wood floor victoriously.

Riku exhaled a sigh of relief, shoulders dropping their defensive stance. "Sorry about her," he said, voice softening in his apology, "She's… crazy." It was Riku's turn to rub the back of his neck, feeling forlorn as his explanation was lame even in his own head.

Sora shook his head. "Er, nah, it's fine." He looked like he wanted to say more, but thought better of it. "Uh, I guess we should pack?"

"Yep," Riku said, backing out the door. It was awkward but that's all he said as he left, crossing the hall to his room.

Sora came to stand in Riku's doorway only a couple minutes later, suitcase in tow. "U-uh, need any help?" he offered. Riku looked over, amused. Clothes poked out the ends of the zippers, and the silveret snorted, dropping his bag of clothes on his bed. "Looks your suitcase needs more help than me."

The brunet smiled, stepping in. "Nah, it's fine. We're walking like, a couple feet and dumping everything out again." The silveret rolled his eyes, stuffing cords and controllers into a black backpack, throwing in his phone charger and DS, too.

"Did you bring school with you?" Sora asked curiously, eyeing the bag.

Riku chuckled. "Oh hell no. I brought, like, all my game consoles."

" _All?_ " Sora reiterated, obviously shocked.

"Safer with me than collecting dust at home – or worse," Riku explained, thinking about Sam.

But Sora nodded, practically jumping in place, eyes lit up. The silveret raised his eyebrows.

"Can I play?!" Sora asked immediately, a childish, impatient grin on his face.

The air momentarily decided to evacuate Riku's lungs. Only Sora could act like a six-year-old and yet still compel his way so strongly. The silveret knew Sora didn't even know he did it. How could he possibly argue with  _that_ expression? Riku nodded, looking away because he couldn't bear to see the excited explosion that would ensue.

Sora cried with glee, " _Yes_! C'mon, let's go, let's go!"

Riku laughed in spite of, and at, himself. Two weeks, of them alone.  _Just kill me._

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku barely opened the door before Sora burst through, urging him to put down his backpack so they could set up a console. Chuckling, Riku obliged and set the heavy bag down on a small, plastic table in the room. While Sora practically plundered the bag, the silveret chucked his duffel bag of clothes across the room and nodded affirmatively when it landed square on the bed.

The whole room was about the size of a motel room with a small kitchenette, bathroom, queen-sized bed, a lonely, beaten dresser and a cushioned bed-end. Next to the dresser was a toddler-sized futon, obviously placed in haste as it wasn't aligned with the wall. Riku glared at it; were they  _serious_? Was this a prank of Larxene's? There was  _no_ way either of them could use the thing; one could breathe on it's rusted hinges and the damn thing would fall apart. Riku sighed in outrage.

But Sora didn't seem concerned with the room's features. Riku watched him make a neat stack of PlayStation games with a fanboy grin and the silveret couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh my  _god,_ I never got to finish this game when Leon went off to college because he took our PlayStation with him and I was so devastated–" Sora babbled, a game in each hand. Was that drool on the side of his mouth? Riku crossed his arms, tilting his head.

"Who's Leon?"

He didn't answer, lost in the loot. Finally, he pulled out Riku's favorite game, and gasped. "Ah! I love this one!" He waved  _Kingdom Hearts I_  around. "Leon wouldn't buy it though. Said it was Disney trash," he pouted.

Riku scoffed. "Okay first of all,  **no**. And second of all, how do you love a game you've never played?"

Sora looked sheepishly back at him, shrugging and admitting, "Uhm, I watched playthroughs of some parts….?"

Riku didn't notice his shark-like smirk. "Wow, that is  _cheating_."

The ocean eyes widened. "No! I just couldn't get the game, it's not my fault!"

Tsk-ing, he retorted, "This is blasphemy. Heresy. You have to do it right."

Grinning in sudden understanding, Sora nodded. "Yes, oh playstation overlord, whatever you say!" He nodded his head like a bow, expression reverent.

"Heh," Riku darkly chuckled, picking out the other games in the series from Sora's stack, "Which have you  _not_ seen yet?"

Sora grabbed  _Chain of Memories_ from Riku's hands and then jiggled it like it was a prize. Riku swore he saw stars in his eyes. "H-help me beat it? Please, please, please?"

It scared Riku how the silveret couldn't bear to say no. Just one glance at Sora's pleading face made the decision for him. The brunet acted like a kid at Christmas, possessing enthusiasm Riku simply didn't have for anything – but it was oh, so endearing. Did the brunet have  _any_ flaw? And again,  _why_  did he choose  _Riku_?

The silveret sighed, "That one's the hardest."

Sora bobbed his head, his expression like it was his sole duty to beat the game. Riku rolled his eyes. "Alright, but you're playing. I'm just a deck builder."

He tilted his head. "Deck builder? Like, YuGiOh? Ah – never mind – I accept!" He whirled around, finally surveying the room. He turned back like a cartoon with no excitement lost. "We need to find a TV."

Laughing, Riku nodded toward the door. "Time to raid that electronics closet."

* * *

_Sora:_

At about two in the morning, Sora could barely keep his eyes open or a grip on the PlayStation controller. While he could scarcely hold concentration on the game, Riku was actively guiding him. If he weren't so tired Sora would have teased him for breaking his vow of near-silence, but the brunet was only capable of nods and small grunts of affirmation. After several instance of running straight into a wall, Sora saved, and dropped the controller.

Riku elbowed him. "Hey, you need to stay awake."

"But… wwwhhhyyy?" Sora exaggeratedly replied, leaning back so that he was half on the bed, arms spread out above his head in surrender. "I feel like I'm already dreaming. Is this real life?"

"Think of this as the small print in the terms and conditions of letting you play my video games," Riku threw back, smirking again with a prideful, relishing expression.

Despite his sleep-deprived-foggy-brain, Sora couldn't help but giggle at Riku's strange behavior. "Is it a full moon or something?" Sora teased, "You're so different."

"You're dreaming it," Riku denied it, lips pursed as he scowled down at a very drowsy brunet.

"Still, you may draw powers from the UV rays reflecting off the moon, but I don't. This is so past my bedtime."

"Your science jokes are going over my head again," he chuckled. He took the controller that was in Sora's lap and started customizing the battle decks.

"Ah… I just got used to the cards I had, too…" Sora mourned the loss of his barely memorized set-up, and corrected him half-heartedly, "and it's more werewolf lore than science…"

The brunet started to nod off when Riku didn't continue the banter, falling into a ludicrous dream almost immediately. A few minutes later, the silveret glanced over. "What, you really still have a bedtime?" Sora visibly twitched awake. Riku smirked.

He glanced again as he saved their progress on  _Chain of Memories_ (again, not trusting Sora's attempt at saving). Before Sora could drowsily reply, he said, "Never mind, I know the answer. You passed out earlier than this last night, too."

"Well, whatever, but I'm going to bed," Sora finally said, surrendering with a weak glare. He rose slowly, planning the easiest route to the bed that didn't involve vaulting himself like a pole. Then, it suddenly occurred to him that there was only one bed. The toddler-futon was clearly not an option. But then, wouldn't that mean they'd have to share the bed?

Sora never had sleepovers of his own. He never even stayed over at friend's houses – not for want of trying, but Sora would always get terribly homesick and panicked and would inevitably end up back home. He finally grew out of it around seventh grade, but by that time his only true friend was Kairi. A girl. Anyone who knew anything about anything knew that would  _never_ be allowed, though the redhead always joked about dragging Sora to her mega-birthday-sleepover-parties.

So that meant he had not even an  _inkling_ what was the norm for this situation. Was it okay for friends to share a bed? Or, was it totally weird? Sora wracked his brain even in his tired state, dreading the worst of all: making some awkward suggestion and permanently making things unbearable for the both of them for two weeks.

But, he realized with a jolt,  _Leon!_  Leon had his friend, Cloud, stay over for a whole week once. In fact, it was almost the  _same_ scenario! Sora didn't know the reason, but he remembered his parents whispering about it. It was a fun week, too; Leon and Cloud played excessive hours of  _Final Fantasy_ – the number, Sora didn't know – and let little Sora watch (Sora's foster mother was concerned about the violent influence on his young, impressionable age). But they stayed in Leon's room, which only had one bed . So… It should be fine, right? It must be normal, for friends. And Sora and Riku were friends.

That realization didn't take away as much nervousness as Sora would have liked. But still, the brunet cleared his throat, tapping his pointer fingers together, and shyly asked, "Uh, wh-what side do you want?"

"Side?" Riku didn't even pause, putting the controller on the console where it wouldn't fall.

"On the bed." Sora hoped the embarrassed agony didn't show through his voice.

"…Oh." Riku was turned away, so he couldn't see his face. "I'll take the futon."

Sora furrowed his eyebrows, frowning. "That's ridiculous. That thing will break if you sit on it."

"Calling me fat?" Even the joke was half-hearted, and Sora realized Riku must be nervous too. For some reason that made the situation much better. Shaking his head, Sora giggled, forgetting his doubts.

"No! Look, I know it's awkward but like, there's noooooo way you can sleep on that thing." Riku turned and sent him a hesitant, guarded look. The brunet sighed. "It's just for two weeks." Then he cough-laughed, and Riku looked at him in confusion. "Sorry, that's actually a long time."

The silveret rolled his eyes, and Sora was relieved the tension left his stance. "You're even dorkier when you're tired," the silveret said, shaking his head with a smile.

"And you're cocky when you're tired," the brunet immediately countered. Sora's smile was a little wider than he realized. " _You're supposed to fight the heartless not the walls_ ," he quoted Riku using a mopey voice.

Riku scowled and crossed his arms. "As your friend Kairi said, that is a  _gross_ exaggeration."

Sora was awake now, and leaned on against the bed. "Oh, I should tell her you said that, she thinks you're hot." Her nose-bleed, nostril-flared, way-too-zoomed-in selfie response with heart emoji's all over the screen from earlier indicated as much.

Riku's facial reaction broke Sora out into full giggles; he looked like a kid spitting out broccoli. The silveret added, " _No,_ thank you."

"I can hear her heart breaking from here," Sora continued, relishing the way Riku looked away, his cheeks the lightest pink and his lips pursing.

"I don't even know her!" Riku scoffed, crossing his arms. Sora giggled, and decided not to mention that Kairi knew  _him_  after weeks of sending snaps.

"Okay, okay, but seriously, which side?" the brunet said finally, taking advantage of Riku's ebb in brood.

He hesitated again, but didn't avoid the question this time. "Are you sure you're cool with that?" he asked, his voice sincere.

Sora remembered his nervousness about it all and faltered, but there was little choice and out of everyone he had met this summer so far, he trusted Riku the most. Riku was different. Sora remembered the way his eyes blazed when he punched Xehan, and the  _conviction_ of his swing. More solemn, the brunet nodded. "Yeah, I am," and continued in a rush, "a-and if you keep arguing about it, I will throw the futon out the window."

Riku appeared to be lost for words, eyebrows raised in surprise with a crooked grin. Sora wanted to face-palm at his threat, cursing his big mouth. He blushed. Regardless, the brunet seemed to have broken the silveret's stubborn resolve, because he sighed again and said, "Alright. I'll take right side."

"Sweet, window side for me!" Sora exclaimed, recovering like a wave from a rising tide. He dived into the bed, forgetting not ten minutes ago he was so tired he began dreaming mid-conversation. "Oh my GOD, this bed is so comfortable!" He practically screamed it into his-side pillow, kicking his feet in happiness.

His dramatics returned Riku to normal. "Don't seem so tired now," he said, suspiciously triumphant.

Sora hesitated, caught. "…No," he admitted, "Why?"

Riku waved his black 3DS in the air as explanation and sat next to Sora, back against the wall. "God, Riku," Sora said, peering at him just over the hill of pillow in his face, "you weren't kidding about bringing all your consoles."

Instead of replying, he pulled on his ponytail that he put up earlier, hair falling in a tumble of silver over his shoulder. The hair band stayed on his wrist like it was home. Sora knew that it was. He felt his cheeks warm. Kairi was wrong, about the hotness thing; Riku was cold, like stepping into winter with snow falling outside, making all nerves tingle and prick like magic.

Sora stopped staring when Riku looked down at him. "Wanna watch?" Riku asked, tapping his head with the DS.

The last thing Sora wanted was to make things  _awkward_ again, so he willed his blood to attend any other veins than his face, and turned back with a smile. Riku's bump didn't hurt, but the brunet pretended anyway. "Ow! Well, yeah, but the lights are still on," he pouted.

Sora grinned when Riku rolled his eyes again; he must not have noticed Sora's mini-panic. Sora inwardly sighed in relief. The silveret had to get up to switch off the lights, so he handed the console to Sora as the brunet sat up. "Load  _358/2 Days_  for me."

"Yes, your  _majesty_ ," Sora teased, but flipped open the device.

"Kings don't turn off the lights." The brunet laughed in agreement. The room went dark, but there was a orange light outside the window on Sora's side that at least lit the room enough to see shapes. Riku took back the DS just in time for Sora the title screen to appear on the game.

"Hey! I know this song," Sora recognized, trying not to lean in too far to see the screen.

The silveret smiled, the blue light of the screen sharpening his features. "Yep. Chronologically, this game is just after COM."

"Wow, spoiler alert."

Riku bumped him with his shoulder, and Sora bumped back, but Riku's save loaded and they were equally distracted. Sora watched Riku spin in a circle in-game and laughed, shoulders touching.

"Uh, my last mission was at Beast's Castle. If you get confused, let me know. I'll fill you in."

Sora nodded but yawned. As usual, Sora concluded, he thought  _way_ too far into the whole situation. The brunet let himself get swept away in his exhaustion and Riku's gameplay. They were silent after that, the familiar piano melody resounding in the room and binding them in common interest.

* * *

_Sora:_

Hours later, the light in the room would be blinding, but luckily the blinds held back the ultraviolet waves. Still, it roused Sora's awareness, making a red screen behind his eyelids. They stuck together from sleep-gunk, but he was too lazy to wipe them out, being warm, and comfy, and held…  _It's probably afternoon already…_

Wait, er, what?

Forcing himself to open his eyes, he dazedly inspected a pale hand resting on his tummy, coming from over his hip. Even in his tired gaze, Sora felt his entire face bloom into a cherry red. How did they end up this way? The brunet had no clue when he fell asleep, but it wasn't too long after Riku began playing  _358/2 Days_. The night before swam by like a dream; he could hardly believe the situation they'd landed in, and this did nothing to help.

His accelerated heart rate was hard to ignore so soon after waking up, his very body caught off-guard by his own reaction. The very spikes of brunet locks on his head felt sharper as he panicked on what he should do. He knew Riku had no control over how he slept – so he knew it was unintentional. It just felt so  _weird_ and  _foreign_  and  _why_ did the pit of his stomach feel so light, almost queasy even?

Sora stared at Riku's slumbering face, so peaceful and unaware and even innocent. His hair was long, crazy, everywhere; Sora remembered Kairi's response to Riku and fought a smile. He wouldn't send her a snap of this; he couldn't explain why, but this Riku would be his secret.

The brunet blinked several times at himself.  _He must've fallen asleep,_ Sora realized, looking around the bed with his limited view for the DS. He lifted his head slowly, the very thought of being caught like this mortifying. In his current spot, the console was out of sight, but he thought he heard the faintest melody of Beast's Castle somewhere close. He'd have to find it; their agreed-upon goal was to play video games all day. Riku challenged Sora to beating both  _COM_  and  _Kingdom Hearts 2_ before the two weeks were finished. He had told him he was crazy, but Sora couldn't back down from the challenge.

Finally, Sora set about inching out of Riku's cuddly grip, moving a centimeter per hour in his absolute  _dread_ of Riku finding out. When he at last managed to slide out from under Riku's arm, the hand that was touching Sora slid to a curled position. His nose twitched, his eyebrows scrunching, and Sora held his breath for a fraction of a second until they returned to their rested position. Despite his effort for stealth, Sora had to stifle a laugh. The brunet would never admit it, but Riku could be really cute when he wasn't trying to be the ultimate edgelord.

He silently sighed in relief once his feet hit the floor. What he didn't know wouldn't hurt him, in this case. Breathing very quietly, Sora looked again for the DS. He found it behind Riku's crazy bedhead, upside down and luckily plugged in because the game was somehow still running. The doofus must have fallen asleep mid-mission.

_Better find a save point for him._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I cannot tell you how much joy it brings me to use technology and memes in my fanfic writing. It gives me  _life._
> 
> Also, did I shamelessly write a "roommate" stereotype fic? Yeah. Yeah I did.
> 
> Thanks for reading! If you liked, leave a comment? :3 And if you tumble like me, kaiserin-astraia


	9. Microverse

**~ Chapter 9: Microverse ~**

* * *

_Riku:_

Sora hummed while they helped clean the boys' cabins – well, "helped" was an understatement, considering they were the only participants. It put Riku in a bad mood, giving free labor to a place he didn't want to be in the first place. Granted, he tried imagining someone like Larxene cleaning and couldn't conjure a mental image. Undoubtably, Demyx and Zexion made themselves scarce for the whole affair.

Xemnas sent them to gather all the bedsheets, pick up leftover trash, and to report on damages in the rooms.  _Just fantastic,_ Riku thought, prying off gross, white bedsheets from beds. Some campers brought their own sheets, like Sora, but others, like Riku, had just used the camp-provided ones. It hadn't occurred to the silveret before just how disgusting clean up would be. He wished he had five layers of gloves, or maybe a vat of GermX. God, forbid they turn on a black light.

Sora seemed painfully unaware of the reality of their task. Both teens were in high school, so surely he knew what happened to these innocent sheets…? He glanced over to the brunet who was as chipper as ever, making My Chemical Romance's  _Welcome to the Black Parade_ sound like a unicorns' and rainbows' tune.  _Okay, maybe he has no idea._ The silveret couldn't help but sigh. He weighed the consequences of mentioning it.

"Sora?" he asked, surprising himself. His heart thumped painfully in his chest; Sora's name was a prayer and promise of blue skies and dreams. Riku wasn't allowed to have those, and so he tried to limit his lips from uttering it.

"Yeah?" Sora asked, his ocean eyes alight in joy.

"…Nevermind."

They worked in silence for a couple minutes, letting Riku ruminate in the fire inside his chest. The sheets of the room were piled in a corner, and Sora held the trash bag while Riku put empty chip bags, wadded pieces of paper, and other garbage into it while avoiding his gaze.

Riku kept forgetting the weight on his shoulders, the burden that he was charged to carry – Sora kept forcing it off and tossed it to the side, infuriatingly, unintentionally so. Riku first noticed it weeks ago; when would he learn to untangle himself from Sora's contagious world?

Hesitantly, Sora said, "Er… Riku? If anything is bothering you, you can tell me."

And there he goes again. Riku forgot about the original topic under the brunet's concerned gaze. Sora continued, head tilted in consideration, "This place feels like Vegas. I've never been, but its like the same concept. What happens here stays here, you know? Well, I mean, if you want it to." Sora bit his lip, that torturous habit Riku loved and hated to witness, and looked to the side.

Riku spoke before he thought better of it. " _How_  do you do that?"

"Do what?"

" _That_." Translating Riku's silence into every undercurrent of thought he'd had. See through him like he were glass; Riku feared Sora held a hammer, ready to shatter him at any given moment.

Sora's smile crooked knowingly to one side, tying the trash bag he held closed. "It's written all over your face, dude. It's obvious if you just look."

Riku understood now. What made Sora so different, and so dangerous. He  _looked_.

And really, there was nothing he could do about it. Riku knew only one other person who looked, and Riku was equally successful at pushing  _him_ away as he had been so far with Sora. The silveret sighed, raking a hand through his bangs.

"You…" Riku exhaled, finally exerting some semblance of self-control, and remembered the start of all this with a small smile. "You might want to touch the sheets as little as possible next time."

"What, why?" Sora asked, picking up the clipboard and taking small notes on the damages on the room. The brunet's face fell, disappointed, but at what Riku had no clue.

Riku waited until Sora peered up at him again to give him  _A Look_ – since Sora claimed to be his translator. A couple seconds passed, the innocent brunet staring back at him blankly, trying to piece together what the silveret was aiming for. Then, the lightbulb turned on over Sora's head. He gasped loudly, dropping the clipboard and frantically shaking his hands in disgust.

"Oh, my god! Guys are so gross!"

Riku couldn't help himself. His perturbed face, flushed cheeks, and the outrage in his voice was just too cute. He had to lean against the chest of drawers in the room to hold himself up as he laughed.

"Dude, you are a guy, too."

"Yeah, but a  _decent_  one. Have none of them heard of the  _shower_?" Riku peered at him through his hair, watching amused as the brunet got more flustered, especially after he realized his confession. Cherry tomato was an understated description of his face. The silveret just kept laughing. He was tangled up in Sora's world again.

"Ugh! Whatever," the brunet groaned. Sora knew he'd been caught. "Let's go to the next room."

* * *

_Sora:_

Sora watched as Riku smirked at Demyx with crossed arms as the sandy-blonde tried and failed to use the microwave. Sora was attempting patience, but regardless he tapped his Hot Pocket box against his arm like tapping a foot. After hours of button-mashing the brunet was starving and eager to continue the game, and Riku's amusement at Sora's fervor only made it worse.

Another agonizing thirty seconds passed with Demyx's total ineptitude at using the simple cooking device. "Gah! Wh-what does this button even do? Guys…" Demyx raged and pouted, turning back at them.

"Err… can't you just hit the one and it'll go for a minute automatically?" Sora suggested, leaning to look at the device. He knew he sounded annoyed, and Riku snickered. Demyx, however, didn't seem fazed.

"Oh, yeah, I'll try that…" the sandy-blonde agreed. He pressed the button but nothing happened. The brunet narrowed his eyes, and glared when Riku continued his chortling at him. Ever since the cabins, Riku's laughter at Sora's suffering had exponentially increased.

Sora strode over to the food nuke-r, attempting to look nonchalant and self-important, and started to press buttons like he knew what he was doing. The device beeped indignantly at him, and he scoffed back at it. "This works at home…." He muttered, his hunger bringing out the worst in him. The brunet resorted to repeatedly pressing 2 over and over again, his frown extending more with each unsuccessful responding "beep".

When he couldn't stand Riku's chuckling anymore, he looked over his shoulder in irritation. He was about to say, " _Well, are you going to help me or_ ** _not_** _?_ " when the silveret walked over way too casually for Sora's taste, and said, "Rich boy."

"Excuse me?"

Riku sniggered again, his smile anything but argumentative, "You heard me. Look, you press 'time cook' first, goof."

"…What?" Demyx and Sora said simultaneously. Riku shook his head. "Rich people and their fancy microwaves." Riku pressed the button indicated and put in a minute and thirty seconds, then pressed start. This time, the microwave sprung to life. Sora's jaw dropped.

"Thank you, Riku!" Demyx gushed, looking like he may just tackle the silveret in a hug. Riku must have thought the same thing, because he took a step back.

"Don't mention it."

The staff lounge door burst open loudly. "Whoever is making that infernal beeping sound,  _stop,_ " Zexion growled. He looked pointedly at Demyx.

The sandy-blond practically bounced over to the blue-tinted-haired male. "Sorry, Zexy, I was hungry~." His voice was leisurely and teasing.

"What does that have to do with the beeping?" Zexion scowled.

Sora was surprised when Riku replied, "These two didn't know how to use the microwave."

"I do too know how to use a microwave!" Sora protested, crossing his arms. He faltered at Riku's bright, teasing eyes and quirked smirk. The brunet realized that he was breathing hard; why was his heart beating so fast? He looked away, back at the infuriating device that had just beeped to signal it was done.

Demyx retrieved his food in a flash, thank the gods, and did his bounce-walk back to Zexion. "Want to share?~"

Zexion tried to hide behind his hair, but Sora caught sight of the pink cheeks. "Sure, I guess." The two left without anymore fuss, clicking the staff lounge door closed behind them. Sora supposed they didn't feel compelled to continue interacting with the two teenagers left at the camp.

A rather loud rumble in Sora's stomach reminded him of his purpose, and he whirled around, practically throwing his Hot Pocket into the troublesome appliance. He slammed the door shut. After  _successfully_ setting the timer for two minutes, he leaned on the counter to defend himself to Riku.

"Okay, just so you know, I didn't think 'time cook' meant duration, I thought it meant literal time to start, like, three o'clock."

Riku rolled his eyes and smiled, but didn't say anything. Sora continued, pouting, "I'm not rich…"

The silveret tilted his head, smile unfaltering. "Sorry. I was just joking."

Sora recovered quickly, giggling. "I know. So what, have you never seen a microwave where you just press the number and it goes?"

Riku looked to the ceiling like he wished it could help him. "I've  _seen_ it. I've just, only lived in apartments with microwaves like these."

Sora had to blink twice to register that  _Riku_ had just  _answered_ a question and provided extra details  _willingly_. That– that was new. "Woah, okay, wait, what did I do right? You're answering me now?"

Riku clearly didn't want to answer  _that_ question, but Sora could read it from his face; the silveret thought it was obvious. Sora pressed, "T-the Vegas comment?"

Riku rubbed the back of his head, tilting his head as if weighing his answer with each ear. "Sorta."

The brunet sighed, smiling as he shook his head, parental. "Your face says I'm right."

"Okay, stop that." Riku's smile was simple and sincere, but his eyes were complicated.

The brunet shrugged. "Can't help it."

The microwave beeped again, and Sora over-eagerly swung the appliance door open, the cheesy scent wafting from within. He sighed in pure, unadulterated relief. The pastry was still steaming hot, and instinctually Sora tossed it between hands. "Ah– hot– eek–"

The silveret magically procured a paper plate and put it in front of Sora to place it. Sora did, a sheepish smile giving thanks. "Wh-what are you going to eat?"

Riku glanced at the pantry. "Probably Lucky Charms."

" _Again_? You had that this morning."

"I don't appreciate your judgmental tone, Sora." His chin was turned up haughtily, but then Riku did the thing where he looked to the side, faltering at the use of his name. Maybe Sora had picked up on a lot of Riku's communications, but he didn't know what that was about. He didn't have the courage to ask.

In fact, most of Sora's courage wasn't courage at all, but rather the result of his mouth being connected solely to his heart and completely flippant of his brain. He'd just gotten lucky so far, it seems, in Riku's case.

"Fine, fine, but when you turn into a leprechaun don't come to me crying."

Riku made his bowl and they headed back to their shared room. Sora was close to beating  _Chain of Memories_. He just hoped he didn't cry by the end.

* * *

_Sora:_

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" Sora chanted, running away and dodging and attacking Marluxia's crazy scythe angel. The boss was only a hit or so away, but this was Sora's third attempt. He was distrustful of the impending victory, but even more hyped for it. Riku sat next to him, watching like a prayer with his hands over his mouth and silent in the tension of anticipating the end.

They  _felt_ when Sora dealt the final blow, both flinching back in equal disbelief. The controller vibrated in Sora's hands, but he didn't feel it. His heart pounded in his ears. That  _sound_ , the  _chink_ that played every boss he conquered, was piercing and Sora dropped the controller in his lap, almost pulling a muscle when he turned to Riku so enthusiastically.

 _"I did it_ ," Sora screeched under his breath. Riku's eyes were wide and his smile grew in sync with the brunet's. Sora held up both hands for high fives, squealing in his victory.

Riku gave into the moment, high five-ing back immediately. " _Yes,_ you did!"

"Oh shit, cutscene!" Sora mashed the menu button to make it pause, and the two stared at each other.

"Holy  _shit!_ "

"That was so  _hard,"_ Sora groaned, raking his hands through his brunet spikes.

Riku laughed. "Yeah but three tries? That's impressive, dude."

"Yeah?!"

"Yeah."

"I could die happy," Sora exaggerated. So overcome with the thrill of winning, he held out a fist for Riku to bump. His partner raised one silver eyebrow in slight disbelief, but gave it to him. Sora made hand explosions and accompanying sound effects after their knuckles touched. Riku shook his head but laughed more.

The brunet continued, "I would have been  _dead_ if I did have that other heal, oh my GOD."

"You're welcome," Riku replied, crossing his arms with a prideful smirk. Sora just nodded enthusiastically, then grabbed Riku's shoulders and shook.

"You.  _Saved_. Me!"

"Oi, oi, oi, Sora, wasn't there a cutscene we were watching?" Riku went along with the brunet's force a little, but used his strength to stay in place. This time the silveret didn't waver over his name – Sora practically felt his brain file away the memory to long-term storage. Somehow, this made the victory  _that much_ sweeter to Sora. He  _won_ something.

"Oh, right, yeah!" Sora cried, turning back to the screen. He hit the un-pause button, trying to force his breathing back to normalcy so he could hear better. With a sly grin, Riku procured the remote and turned up the volume. Sora's glance was grateful.

After some fifteen minutes later,  _finally_ , they were returned to the title screen. "Okay," Sora started, "I did all that. And he  _forgets it_?!"

Riku chuckled. "Yep. Like it never happened."

"What! That's stupid! Why is it even in the series then!" The silveret's grin was shit-eating now, like  _this_ was the moment he was waiting for.

"The characters are important… and there's the other route."

"Other route?"

"Yeeeeeep."

"Oh my god, no," Sora groaned, "not again. No more cards." He pretended to sob into his hands.

"Ha, you can go on to  _Kingdom Hearts II;_ I won't judge you. But you're forgetting the most important thing."

"Huh?" Sora said, looking up, "What's that?"

"What are we going to do to celebrate?" Something was up, because his arms were crossed with a foot on his knee, expression amused and expectant. Sora knit his eyebrows.

"Err… I guess we could hit up the kitchen. I'm super hungry." It'd been hours since the hot pocket Sora devoured, and his stomach was insistent on reminding him of the fact.

When blue eyes glance to their icy, turquoise friends, they are alight with mischief. "Kitchen's lame," he said, smile crooked in all the best and terrifying ways, "How about fast food?"

He hoped that Riku didn't hear his gulp, and narrowed his eyes. "F-fast food? Riku, what are you talking about? We can't go anywhere."

Sora kept playing into whatever the silveret's plans were, because his sly grin only grew with every utterance of his incredulity. "Says who?" the silveret retorted, then from his pocket procured car keys.

Now he was  _really_ confused. "B-but–"

Riku explained, "So, actually, I kind of have to go anyway, for Larxene. It's her keys."

Despite the mounting anxiety growing in his chest, Sora's ears piqued. "For Larxene?" Sora started, hesitant, "But, you like… hate her."

"Most the time, yeah."

"So…"

"I'll tell you on the way, just pick a place," the silveret said triumphantly, standing and whipping his shimmery silver hair into a ponytail in one sickeningly graceful movement. Sora scowled. Riku  _knew_ that Sora was oh, so desperate for information and was using it. Even though he was aware of it, Sora wasn't compelled any less.

"W-we can't, Riku, we're supposed to stay here." He sounded unsure, even to himself.

Riku snorted. "Xemnas isn't even  _here_ to notice," he argued, and it was true; Xemnas gave Zexion authority while leaving for a couple days, or so Demyx babbled on about, mourning that Zexion was given control over him.

The brunet was running out of excuses, and bit his lip. But they  _couldn't_ go.

_"We can't, Kairi, we'll get caught!"_

_She wanted to skip school for the anniversary of her adoption by the mayor. Since Sora met her, she cared more about the day than her own birthday, though her family always threw a big party for that, too. But today – today was really her day. And she always begged that Sora tag along, as if their shared adopted status made a special connection. Granted, normally, it did. Kairi got things about Sora that he himself didn't understand._

_But she didn't get that Sora couldn't go. Skip school? What if his parents found out? What would they think then?_

_Kairi scoffed. "Leon skips all the time with Cloud. What's the big deal?"_

_"I-it's… different, Kai." Leon was their flesh and blood; Sora wasn't._

_"Different how?" Her blue eyes burned, determined and confused and now more concerned than excited. Sora's chest was heavy with guilt; he disappointed her._

_"It just is," Sora replied stubbornly. He knew she'd freak if she knew what he really thought._

_He'd have to disappoint Kairi. Disappointing his foster parents was simply not an option._

Sora swallowed hard again. His parents weren't there, were they? Riku must have sensed his hesitation, because he added, "I'm sick of being stuck here. It's ridiculous. We don't need to be babysat. And besides," he glanced up, still oh so determined but now also concerned, "we'll be gone an hour, tops. Promise."

Sora felt nauseous, and he wasn't sure if it was his hunger or the terror. How long would he let this curl around his bones like vines, rooting him in place? Riku was right; mentally, the brunet  _knew_ this. And,  _gods_ , Sora did not want to disappoint Riku.

But, when did he come to care so much?

Riku's converse were tied now, a catalyst for Sora's anxiety like an ice spike through his chest. It's not that the silveret wouldn't take no for an answer, but Sora didn't want to witness his hurt eyes if Sora said no. Kairi had tried to hide it then, but he knew that she had needed him that day and he let her down. What if this was the same?

Sora rubbed the back of his head, deciding maybe his big mouth could get him through this after all. Childishly, pouting, and wanting so desperately to hide his hunger-and-fear-induced shaking hands, he said, "Fine, but I want Sonic."

Riku's smile literally washed Sora's anxiety away, and released the iron clamp on his lungs. He breathed out, felt his cheeks pink. The silveret had that mysterious, soft expression again that for the life of him, Sora couldn't understand. But it was enough.

"Whatever you want, Sora," the silveret said encouragingly. He set about looking for his wallet. Sora, shy, tossed Riku his black jacket, somehow remembering the wallet in a pocket. "Oh, thanks."

The brunet slipped on his shoes unceremoniously. "Let's go."

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku strode out toward the back of camp, where the all the cars were parked, Larxene's keys spinning around his index finger as if they belonged there. The gravel crunched under his black converse satisfyingly. Despite himself he breathed the night air in deeply, his body lighter at the prospect of escaping this small prison even if for only an hour. At night, the heat faded and cooled the night breeze, wafting up scents of the trees and summer. It was the embodiment of adventure. The air here was much fresher than the city air he'd grown up breathing.

The only light outside was a porch-light attached next to the door him and Sora exited. It was a dim bulb, the outer glass yellowed and rimmed with bugs. But the silveret was grateful for its dimness; it let the stars shine on in their full brilliance. For once, they didn't look like they were laughing at him.

The moon, too, was full and gleaming down on the two of them. Riku glanced back, making sure Sora was still there. The brunet, walking behind him apprehensively, looked gorgeous in the full moon even in his nervousness. His face was illuminated such that it seemed nature itself wanted to highlight his blue eyes and lips. His hair bounced even without the breeze.

He got that full picture from a quick backwards glance. Maybe the full moon did make him weird.

His eyes landed on Larxene's car, and Riku snatched the spinning, clinking keys into his palm. He felt that same exhilaration from the time he "ran away" from home for three days. He wanted to see how long it took for his mom to notice, and they had just gotten into a fight, and Riku needed time to cool. God, he didn't even remember what the fight was  _about_. But, he knew where to go.

 _"Ha, she finally texted you, and it's about dinner?"_   _Mikey snorted, not looking up from his DS. Riku showed him his phone. "It's even got a sad-face," Riku added._

_Mikey glanced and chuckled. Riku, if he were honest, didn't know how to feel about it. "So… what are you going to do?"_

_Well, Riku couldn't crash on Mikey's couch much longer. They didn't want his mom to think something was up. The silveret shrugged. "I was thinking spaghetti."_

_The raven-haired teen groaned, finally pausing his game and placing the DS on the ground beside him. Mikey turned to him with furrowed brows. "You're going back? To make dinner? Really? After what she said?"_

_"She didn't mean it," Riku muttered, cheeks burning. Even if she did, it didn't matter; she needed him, and sometimes that was comforting. Besides – this wasn't the first time Riku threw off the chains only to go back once he recovered from the weight. And it likely wouldn't be the last._

_"Bullshit," Mikey said with conviction. Then he sighed. "You can keep the shirt, by the way."_

_"You sure?"_

_"Yeah, I'm sure. Well, I'll grab my keys – give you a ride."_

_Riku felt awkward, but grateful. He didn't have his license yet, and Mikey's passenger seat was arguably his favorite place to be. "Thanks, Mikey," he muttered._

_Mikey's smile was brilliant, as always._

Riku shook his head. This time was different; this escape had conditions. But he was starved of autonomy, so he'd make the most of it. Besides…

He looked back to Sora, split between charmed and concerned with his fidgeting. "You know, you don't  _have_ to go with me," Riku said, both teasing and serious.

Sora shook his head, a little too much in determination. "No, I want to go," he looked away sheepishly, "For Sonic!"

Riku snorted in disbelief, secretly grateful. Sora made his vision tunneled and ever-so-slightly rose-color tinted, however brief. He hit the car key button to unlock Larxene's car, a new, yellow Toyota Camry. He wondered where she got the cash to buy it. He opened the driver side door and climbed in, adjusting the seats.

"Just how short  _is_ she…" he muttered, annoyed with the excessive amounts of buttons to just adjust the seat. Sora hesitantly followed in on the passenger's side, giggling nervously as he buckled in all too eagerly. Riku would tease him about it, if it weren't so endearing.

Starting the car was louder than Riku intended.

Sora groaned, "Oh my god we are SO dead." He leaned back, hiding his face in his hands. Riku glanced in surprise, one eyebrow cocked. While Riku thought nothing of their plan, Sora was hyperaware. The silveret didn't remember the last time he was afraid of breaking a rule.

Still, Sora was amusing. Riku snickered, "For doing what? Starting a car?"

"YES! We're going to juvie, this is it, this is the end of the line!" The brunet was hysterical, but Riku couldn't stop laughing. The brunet hadn't flown out of the car window yet, so it must not have been  _that_ bad. It was just too fun to rile him up.

"Alright, alright we are out of here," he replied in between laughs, "Before Demyx comes out wanting to tag along." He put the car in reverse and spun out, gravel popping under the tires. Sora gripped the car door, surprised by the speed.

"Whoops… new pedals."

"Please don't kill us," the request was sincere, "where are we even going?"

"To Sonic!"

" _You don't even have the GPS up_!"

* * *

_Sora:_

Every single moment of the drive was novel, down to Sora's arm hair standing on end and his very skin tingling ceaselessly. What was this: fear? Exhilaration? Both? Sora didn't know. His death grip on the car door didn't lessen as the reality set in. He'd  _done_ it. If had ever dared to break the rules before, he couldn't remember it. Was this Sora's courage that got him here, or Riku's confident, adventurous grin?

Riku sharply turned them onto a long road, and Sora glanced at him. Lips curled like a warrior finally given a sword, eyes so hungry and bright. The brunet forgot to breathe. Riku's hand tensed around the wheel slightly and Sora just couldn't  _bear_ to look away. It was terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

He didn't get to stare long. The silveret's free hand tossed him a phone. Sora caught it, but just barely, and the brunet gaped at him wide-eyed. Riku explained, "GPS Sonic? Oh, and put on some music. She's got Bluetooth."

Sora was too bewildered to remember to pretend to be calm. "O-oh, ok-kay, sure, uhm, so. Passcode?"

Chuckling, Riku told him. Ugh, he couldn't do  _anything_  effectively this way. Going on autopilot for all functionality, Sora unlocked the phone, navigating immediately to maps. He found a Sonic twenty minutes away. He started the route and the phone declared, "We're all set, let's go!" Sora nearly dropped the it and made a rather high-pitched "eep!" noise. This time Riku laughed, shaking his head.

His laughter loosened the grip of anxiety still rooted in his bones. Riku wasn't annoyed with him, or picking on him – so, Sora really was okay? With a shaky exhale, Sora connected the device to Bluetooth, thanking all his lucky stars that he had the tech know-how to do so, and just in time, too. The female navigator continued, "In 5.3 miles, turn right on Avenue D."

With a tsk Riku muttered, "I'm going, I'm going…." It was so  _normal_ that Sora was able to crack a smile.

Finally Sora went to Music, and was decently distracted by the sheer  _amount_ of it that Riku kept on the device. It was immediately obvious that just picking a playlist would be the way to go, but Sora was curious. He peeked into a few, since they were all titled 'playlist' with a number.

"You should really  _name_ these," Sora critiqued him. He was surprised that his mouth articulated English. Apparently teasing Riku was the only calming catalyst he had.

Riku shrugged at the wheel, mouth flickering in amusement. "But that requires effort."

"Just put the primary band name in it next time so I can–" Sora cleared his throat, "So people like me can pick one."

With a disarming tilt of Riku's chin, he said, "Sure, next time then. Or you can just make one. For  _next time_."

Sora scowled despite himself. "I  _will_ then."

He found a playlist that mostly consisted of Bring Me the Horizon, Chiodos, Dance Gavin Dance and other 'emo'-type bands that Sora happened to know. Desperate to have something he could hum to, he started them on Chiodos'  _There's No Penguins In Alaska_.

"Good choice. Now, last question," Riku said, and Sora had no idea when he became so interested in asking  _him_ questions, "What's the fastest you've gone?"

Everything about that question should have sent Sora past the point of hysterics. Maybe it was Riku's wild eyes, the casual way his hand rested on the wheel, his other tapping the beat emanating softly from the speakers of the car, or the way Riku uniquely made him feel so displaced from everything he'd ever been up to this point – but the brunet instead complied with a a sheepish stutter. "S-sixty. Wait, why?"

Riku didn't reply, but he dialed the volume knob up several notches. All Sora's senses were stolen by drums and guitar, his throat instantly drawn to sing along. But then, in the very next moment, he felt the vibration increase under his feet and under his palm still death-gripped to the door. With wide eyes he stared at Riku who glanced back at him with eyebrows raised – a " _watch this_ " dare. The trees that Sora could barely see past Riku began to  _fly_ by, and that strange sensation just under his skin returned. His heart skipped a beat when, a quick glance, the speedometer needle hit ninety.

"You are  _crazy_!" Sora said incredulously, just loud enough to be heard over the music. The silveret's flash of teeth told him that he agreed.

A moment passed, and another, and another. The muscle connected to his thumb had begun to ache. When they didn't crash in some terrible, staggering accident, the engine's growl that Riku commandeered became a purr. The brunet's blood built in his veins like a rush was on it's way, like when he finished the test for his yellow belt. The world felt as if it would collapse around him, like every movement he made was wrong and even if it  _was_ right he shouldn't do it – but then, it ended. And he got the belt. And the  _calm_.

When Sora glanced out his window, he had let go of the car door, though he had no recollection of doing so. The red lights of the car interior lit up Sora's face reflected in the window, and he was grinning. He barely recognized himself. The entropy in Riku's eyes had reached Sora's in his reflection.

The GPS warned them that there was only a mile left till the turn, and Sora  _felt_ Riku lift pressure from the acceleration pedal. His head felt fuzzy from the descent, but more than anything else he felt that petrifying fear break off like a boulder crumbling.

They came to a soft stop at the intersection. The silveret sent him an expression that clearly said, " _Well?_ " Breathlessly, Sora told him in amazement, "We didn't die!"

"Ha, well,  _yeah_ ," Riku snorted. He began to turn, but glanced at the time on the dash. "Shit," he said, and Sora waited for the explanation. Lowering the music volume, the silveret explained, "We gotta do Larxene's thing first. The place closes at 9."

Finally, the brunet's heart was beating normally. "What a mystery this is becoming," Sora pouted, crossing his arms. Riku still hadn't told him what this 'errand' was.

"I'll tell you when we get there."

"Excuses, excuses. I'm getting the biggest shake  _ever_ from Sonic."

"That is totally fine by me," Riku said, hair shaking. "Just pause the GPS, I know where to go."

"The plot thickens," the brunet reiterated, but completed the task.

"I'm more worried about your recent break-up with the door," Riku teased, only able to glance over intermittently.

Sora scoffed indignantly. "That's it, no more moon exposure for you." With pink cheeks, the brunet tried to bury himself in his seat. But the relief was so palpable he felt weightless and he knew Riku realized it too – he turned up the music again with a triumphal wink.

* * *

_Riku:_

The high dissipated when Riku parked in front of the liquor store Larxene had specified. He threw the car into park, and waited for Sora's questions. It was only fair – and he had promised.

"Err… Riku? What even?" Bingo.

He sighed. "Just to be clear, I don't  _want_ to do it. But Larxene wants me to buy her vodka and she's my mom's best friend, and somehow she knew about Xehan so, well, here we are." The explanation came out in one swift breath, the pit of his stomach dropping in anticipation of what Riku predicted Sora would say.

He peeked through his hair at the brunet, who struggled to come up with something  _to_ say. His lips were set in a hard line, and Riku spent the silence trying to convince himself it didn't matter  _what_ Sora thought. Eventually he just couldn't stand Sora's stunned concern, and said, voice forced light and nonchalant, "Don't worry, you're staying in the car."

"What?" Sora said, suddenly irate, "Why are you leaving me in the car?"

The teasing always came easy. "The door says only twenty-one and older can enter."

Sora's face was priceless; he genuinely thought Riku  _meant_ that he was of-age and spent a good five seconds mulling it over with a twisted expression until he back-tracked. "Then how are  _you_ getting in, edgelord?"

He ticked off reasons on his fingers. "Silver hair, tall as fuck, and hey, I almost convinced  _you_  I was twenty-one–"

"Don't trust  _my_ judgement _–_ " Sora's laugh was incredulous and Riku continued with a forced smile, obliging, "And, I have a fake."

"A fake? A fake what? …Oh, I.D.?"

Riku nodded. If he didn't know any better, Riku would've thought he sprouted antlers the way Sora looked at him. "Whaaaaaaaaat?"

"It's a long story," Riku said, unbuckling his seatbelt and opening his door – trying to end the conversation. "Anyway, be back in a sec." He kept his eyes forward as he walked away, unwilling to see what Sora's expression told him.

The whole rendezvous went flawlessly; the new fake was believed, and they had Larx's favorite flavor – pineapple. He got the tequila and mix that his mom always liked since the lightening queen didn't specify, and with a regretful sigh he returned to the car within ten minutes. He was irritated that the paper bags were so heavy.

Sora looked up from his phone and eyed the brown sacks with a paternal frown. "How much did she  _want_?"

"Way, way too much. It was like, almost sixty bucks." He slid the goods behind the driver seat and buckled in, releasing a sigh he didn't know he was holding. He could still feel Sora's gaze on him – he  _almost_ wished Sora hadn't gone with him after all.

Riku cleared his throat, "Sorry… about this. You can hate me after we get back, but let's get Sonic first?"  _I told you it was a bad idea to be friends with me._

It was far too late to feel self-conscious about this whole ordeal, but Riku found himself unable to meet Sora's face. Instead he busied himself starting the car and resuming GPS on his phone. He only looked over when Sora touched his arm, a soft brush of concern. It made him feel more raw.

"Hey, I told you, it 's too late. You're my friend so, no hatred here okay? Just don't kill us with your crazy driving."

Sora's words slipped through Riku's back like untying and pulling a ribbon. He released air like a laugh to hide everything else that pulsed through his veins. "That wasn't even the beginning." To driving, Larxene, or anything else in Riku's life.

"You are  _insane._ I don't even want to know your insurance rate."

Considering Riku managed the bills, Sora's comment earned a laugh; the rate was pretty high. The ocean eyes next to him were raging, the waves translating to a flush of pink across his cheeks. Minutes ago Riku thought Sora was terrified, but even if he was, it was gone now. If Riku could do  _that_ , at least, then maybe the trip was worth it. His smile was sincere this time. "Okay, let's go to Sonic already, I'm starving."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'd just like to point out that in Dream Drop Distance Riku drove the Tron car thingies and if that doesn't make Riku the designated crazy driver then idk what does. ITS CANON OKAY.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :D Leave a comment if you liked? The reward is my everlasting love.


	10. We Own The Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Underage drinking ahead. It's technically monitored, but, you've been warned :) The title of this chapter was inspired by We Own the Night by Dance Gavin Dance.

**~ Chapter 10: We Own The Night ~**

* * *

_Sora:_

_Kingdom Hearts II_ proved to need less guidance from Riku than CoM. Two days into his playthrough, Sora's butt left a permanent dip into the cushion on the bed-end. The silveret, next to him with headphones in on the DS, had spent an equal amount of time in his single spot. They had a deal; for cutscenes, the other would pause to watch with the other. Judging by the frequency of Riku-shoulder-taps, he would finish  _358/2 Days_ today.

They agreed that, whenever either of them finished a game, they'd go get Sonic. Sora suggested that they  _ask_ Larxene before taking her car again, but the silveret waved the thought away. The brunet suspected Riku simply didn't want to deal with her – not that he blamed him. In the end, the allure of more fast food and another stab at normalcy in the car was enough incentive for Sora to give into the temptation. He was trying, and failing, to suppress the anticipation of getting a massive chocolate shake tonight.

Riku adjusted slightly in his spot, and Sora knew, with a jolt, because the brunet had been leaning on him, accidentally. Again. In his defense, the cushion wasn't very comfortable; but nevertheless Sora felt his cheeks go pink –  _again_ – realizing what he had done. Riku's side was warm, and Sora knew he'd swear on his deathbed nothing of the sort – especially to Kairi. He kept his eyes on the TV screen, but the effort went seemingly unnoticed; Riku made no comment.

Sora was in the middle of following Iago, a very annoying parrot, when the door to their room opened. It was a high, feminine whine that got the brunet's attention. He quickly sat up straight, self-conscious.

"Ri~ku," the blonde at the door called, peeking her head in. When her eyes met Sora's, Larxene made her full entrance with a smile. She hadn't changed much since she met him last; the short shorts, a similar tank top that accentuated her curves, blonde hair pushed back save two curious antennae-like locks of hair.

He elbowed Riku who looked over to him curiously. His eyes were only half attentive, evidence that his mind was still engrossed in the game. It reminded him of how the silveret looked when he woke up, hair disheveled and mind struggling to return to reality. Sora tilted his head to the door with a smile.

Riku's recognition was immediate, headphones leaving his ears and eyebrows knitting together immediately. "It's on the counter," was all Riku said, tone inching toward hostile and warning.

The blonde hopped over to the brown bag on the kitchenette counter, peeking in with a happy grin. "Wow, you really are the best," Larxene sang, while Riku rolled his eyes. Then she turned, a bottle in each hand, and asked, "Make me margaritas? Please, please, please,  _please_?"

"Uh, no," Riku responded without skipping a beat, glaring, "we haven't eaten since noon. You can make it yourself." It was true, and the sun had nearly completed it's journey past the horizon.

She pouted, "But you make it the best…" Then, she glanced at Sora, the wheels in her head obviously turning, "Hey, you could make one for him, too. Adult supervision and all."

Riku's stare on her was hard. Sora didn't know what to think. It was weird enough that she had  _him –_ a minor _–_  buy it for her, but this? What created the  _precedent_ for this? But he knew Riku would say no; his entire body screamed it.

Larxene caught on and crossed her arms, thinking – and then, she sweetened the deal: "Oh, how about I give you guys some money to go get Sonic for everybody? Then you can make my margaritas and I'll leave!" She said it like it was the most genius idea she'd ever had. Sora watched as Riku's eye twitched.

Most of all, he didn't want Riku to get into trouble. The situation was ludicrous, but Riku didn't look surprised, just annoyed, and Sora had no idea the consequences of defying her. The longer they talked, the more Sora felt like he knew nothing despite Riku's explanation in the car last time.

He touched Riku's elbow, and the silveret turned to him immediately. "Uhm… well… we did want to go to Sonic," Sora said, voice unsure. The brunet prayed to the gods above that his expression told Riku the rest.

He must have understood  _something_ because Riku audibly sighed and unfurled his clenched fists on his knees. Aqua eyes turned back to the apple-green orbs across the room. "What do you mean by everyone, Larx?"

"You, me, Sora, Demyx and Zexion. They'd kill me if we got some and didn't get them any."

Sora snickered at the thought – he didn't think Demyx could hurt a fly.

Larxene directed her next comment at Sora, "Hey, don't laugh! I'm not  _that_ heartless." It took every ounce of Sora's will not to reply: " _could have fooled me_." But he resisted, and stood, surveying the room for his shoes.

Riku stood, too, and retrieved his jacket. The cloth jingled with Larxene's keys still in the pocket. "Still got your keys," Riku told the blonde.

She nodded happily. "No one else I'd trust them with," she purred. Despite Riku's malice toward her, Sora was starting to feel like their connection went deeper than he let on.

When Sora sat at the table to slip on his monolithic shoes, Larxene slipped into the chair next to him.  _Too close_ , he thought as she leaned in, his chin poised elegantly against her palm as she stared at him.

"You know, you remind me  _so much_ of Riku's old friend – what was his name – Mickey? Mike–"

"Larxene," Riku warned, cutting her off. When Sora looked back at the silveret, he had a warning fire in his eyes, but Larxene waved a hand at him.  _Who is she talking about?_  Sora wondered.

"Whaaaat? I'm just saying. I haven't even seen that kid in years." To Sora, she added with a chastising tone, still light and teasing, "He's so pissy, I don't know how you stand it."

Riku bristled and didn't retort, jaw clenched. Sora felt the rising tension like the air was thin, but his chest felt like it shared the same fire that was in Riku's eyes.

Vehemently, the brunet replied, "He's  _not_." It came out like a growl, and Sora immediately blanched at his own tone. She raised her eyebrows at him, but he continued before she could start, "Wh-what do you want from Sonic, Larxene?" He didn't trust the lightening witch but he sent her a begging stare:  _please drop it_. His heart beat like a drum in his chest.

Miraculously she took the bait. "Oh! Yeah let me text it to you, and then I'll send Demyx and Zexion's when you go."

The brunet dumbly nodded, handing her the phone in relief. The silveret looked displeased at the exchange, but Sora couldn't shake the feeling he dodged a bullet despite it. She returned his phone when her pocket buzzed. "Perfect," she said in satisfaction, and finally leaned away.

Shoes on and anxious to get farther away, Sora stood just as Riku was walking by the table, too. The silveret jerked his head toward the door to indicate Sora to follow, lips still pursed and face carefully blank. Sora jogged through the door to keep up with his friend who seemed intent on using his long legs to their full potential. They didn't even bother announcing their departure.

When the car doors slammed shut, Riku and Sora exhaled in unison. Despite the mood, Sora glanced to Riku and smiled, giggling at themselves. "God, she's  _always_ like that?" Sora asked.

Riku nodded, a ghost of a smile, "Yeah. Always. Hey, thanks for, uh, defending me back there."

Sora  _beamed_. "Oh, of course, what are friends for?" The brunet relished the way Riku's shoulders dipped as the tension drained from them, and how Larxene's keys spun around Riku's index finger like the merry-go-round of thoughts reverberating between them. The silveret started the car, and Sora slipped his phone from his pocket, reading a new text from Larxene.

The brunet snorted at her name: it had the lightening bolt emoji's around it. Then he read the text and scoffed in shock. "Just how much can Demyx  _eat_?"

"I don't even want to know. Let's go." With a pair of grins, they did.

* * *

_Sora:_

When the two returned with armfuls of Sonic shakes, slushes, and bags of food, Demyx and Zexion had already invaded Sora and Riku's room.

"Hey guys, you're back!" Demyx cried with glee, "Awesome – I'm  _so_  hungry."

Sora dumped his armful on the table, peeking into the bags. "Err… I think these two bags are yours," Sora said, trying to stop his face from twisting into disgust at the two hamburgers, two large fries, and mozzarella sticks that Demyx got purely for himself.

The sandy-blond groaned in approval, "Yeeeeeessss." Zexion shook his head at him, next to Larxene sitting at the table who just laughed at him. Her laugh was like a high bark, robust and full. "You are  _welcome,_ " she sang, pulling a bag to herself to check its contents.

Riku put the drinks down on the table, then handed Sora his shake. Larxene's smile brightened into a mischievous 'v' when she peered at him, her anticipation clear. He didn't have to look at her to sense the stare; he sighed roughly, a hand on the back of a chair.

As if anticipating his protests, Larxene begged, "We had a deal, Ri!"

He nodded, turning silently to peer into cupboards. Sora watched and sipped his shake, his world so expanded and new from the characters around him. He'd only hung out with Kairi and her friends before; they were all the same age, living in the same neighborhoods and attending the same schools. Even spending time with Axel and the others, Sora felt like he understood the territory. But with Larxene, Demyx, and Zexion – even Riku? Sora may as well had been transported to another plane of existence.

The cupboards were empty. Simply, Riku said, "We need a blender and ice, Larx."

The blonde wasted no time with a casual point, legs crossing in her authority, "Demyx, go get it from the lounge, k?"

The lazy male was mid-burger-bite, which, astonishingly, was about to take a third of his burger with it. He groaned as he bit down, leaning so far back in his chair Sora feared he'd fall over. "Mhy me?" he said, and Larxene's grin was wicked. "Because I got food, dummy. And free alcohol, so, make yourself useful."

His puppy eyes went to Zexion. "Cohme wit me?"

The blue-black haired male shrunk back in disgust, perhaps from the full mouth Demyx used to ask, but still conceded. "If we must," he said, and they both stood.

"Be right back!" Demyx sang once he swallowed.

Larxene seemed content to scroll social media on her phone while they waited, daintily lifting fries one at a time to her pink, glossed lips. Finally, Riku sat down next to Sora and the brunet turned to him. Sliding over a bag of food, Sora said, "This one's yours…" Riku nodded his thanks and took it absently. The brunet tried not to feel concerned.

"So…" Sora started hesitantly, "Wh-what are you making?"

Riku popped a tater tot in his mouth. "Margaritas. It's like cherry-limeade with tequila, I guess?"

"To-kill-a-what?"

Larxene giggled. "Good luck, Riku." Aqua eyes glared, but Larxene didn't see; her jade gaze never left her phone.

Sighing, Riku explained, "It's alcohol. "

"I got  _that_ ," Sora retorted. "What makes it different from like… beer? Wine?"

Larxene interceded the conversation again with a wink, "You'll find out."

Sora replied, voice shakier than he'd ever admit, "Th-that would be illegal, so n-no."

She wagged her finger at him, finally looking up from her phone with a cheshire grin that reminded Sora distinctly of Axel. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sora. It's not illegal with adult supervision. Aka me. You. Are.  _Welcome._ "

"Don't listen to her, Sora, she's an infant in an adult body," Riku retorted, a small smirk threatening to break his stoic features at his tease.

The blonde pouted, "But I'm not  _wrong,_ Ri, I thought you'd appreciate the help."

The silveret snorted, but Sora interjected with a bewildered question: "Help with what?" After all, what was helpful about intoxicating minors? Sora didn't understand Larxene at all.

The blonde glanced pointedly at him, and when Sora just tilted his head in response, unable to translate her silence like Riku's, she sighed apologetically to Riku. "You have the worst taste."

"I hate you,  _so much_ ," was all Riku replied, facially unresponsive to Sora's beseeching glances.

"And then Marly doubled the length of the exam, like, what kind of professor–" Demyx burst through the door, blender and a bag of ice in either hand, Zexion following close behind, his interest in Demyx's story hardly masked.

"We're back!" he said, completely disregarding his own conversation as the room's inhabitants turned to him.

"I see that," Riku said, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Sora went back to sipping his shake, still caught in the riptide of people and happenings around him. Demyx put the blender right in front of Riku, beaming, "You're making them? Wow, if I were that cool in high school I would have hooked up with  _all_ the cute boys–" Zexion swat the back of his head with a book he somehow procured.

"Keep your fantasies to yourself, Dem," Zexion said, scowling. He peeked over his shoulder at Riku, "I'm sorry, and thank you." The silveret shrugged, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"Let's just get this over with," Riku muttered, grabbing the blender, ice, and relocated to the counter where the tequila and mix waited. Demyx and Zexion took the two chairs freed from Riku's departure, and Larxene put her phone on the table in disinterest. The brunet felt surrounded, and ultimately out of his element, if he even had one. Sora kept bouncing glances between the silveret silent at work, and the conversation that quickly bubbled around him.

"Zexion here is getting a  _psychology_ degree," Demyx beamed, and Zexion hid his face in his book.

"Ew, college," Larxene commented, wrinkling her nose in disgust, "too much effort."

Zexion added, muttering from the side of the novel, "If Demyx can do it, you could too, trust me."

Larxene grinned widely, "Maybe. The problem is, paying for it."

"That's why me and Zexy are here, gotta save up for the fall semester," Demyx said.

Larxene was about to reply, but Riku interjected, "Blender on." And the loud whirring sound rendered conversation impossible. Just as well, for Sora. Demyx and Zexion still talked into each other's ears, and Larxene picked up her phone again with conviction.

Sora was surprised when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Checking the notification, Larxene had texted him again. It read:

_"Riku's birthday is December 19_ _th_ _. He likes chocolate cakes, cupcakes, all that. His favorite color used 2 b purple but idk anymore. Don't talk about Pride and Prejudice he hates that movie. U figure out the rest. Hurt him and I will break ur face."_

He stared at the blonde in shock. She actively glanced to Riku to make sure he wasn't watching, green eyes lit in their usual mischief, but Sora suddenly realized there was something else too. He typed and sent a reply: " _Y r u telling me this?_ "

She rolled her eyes when she read the message. " _Because he won't tell u himself, dummy._ " She even added five rolling-eyes emojis. He replied with a Confused Travolta gif.  _What_ was she getting at?

There was no time to decide, because the blender shut off. "Pour it yourself, Responsible Adult," the silveret quipped to the blonde extortionist. Surprisingly, she didn't have a biting reply and instead stood, sauntering over in bliss. Meanwhile, Riku took her chair, snatching his food that Sora had quarantined away from Demyx.

The blonde poured the alcoholic slush into six red plastic cups, and sipped one. "Oh, my  _god_ , it's so good." The smile she sent Riku over her shoulder was the first genuine expression Sora had seen from her. Even more bewildering, Riku wasn't scowling, or frowning; instead his arms crossed with a prideful smirk.

"Well, of course," he said, and Sora was  _dying_ to taste if he was that proud of it.

Larx handed each of them a glass, keeping the one she sipped and another. There was left-over in the blender, which mathematically made no sense to Sora, and so when she slid a drink to Sora he was distracted. With a sweet wink, Larx sang, "There. Larxene-sanctioned." She booped Riku's nose, "Thanks, bartender."

He wiped his nose in disgust, but the brunet oddly felt his chest burn watching the exchange. "Drink your vodka next time, Larx." His voice held no malice, but instead the finger-wagging tone of a parent reprimanding their child.

"Sure, sure," she waved his comment away.

Demyx joined in, "Yeah, thanks, Riku! Kick-ass drink, dude." Zexion raised his glass, which Sora assumed that was a compliment in-and-of-itself.

Sora's mouth was dry and his swallow, empty. Maybe Riku picked up on the fact Sora had not spoken in quite some time – which even Sora could admit was strange for him – because his eyes fell on him as soon as the attention ebbed away from Riku and his apparently delicious drink.

Quiet enough that the others would hopefully not register the conversation, Riku said, "Don't worry about it if you don't want it. I'll put it in the fridge and I'm sure this alcoholic," he glanced at Larxene and Sora giggled despite his nervous, shaking hands, "will finish it for you."

Sora hesitated to respond, and Larxene did overhear. "Just try it, kid, there's no harm in it."

He could list about  _ten_  ways it could cause harm, but they all felt like cotton-balls in his throat. Fate had Sora tied on a string and was tugging him along before he could register what was happening. He thought:  _I should be freaking out about now._ He wanted to snap Kairi, as if she could give him permission. But she wasn't here, and even if she was he knew what she'd say. His parents weren't here either – just Larxene going against every adult pre-set Sora knew, Demyx loudly rambling about some college party he'd been to, Zexion sipping quietly with a small smile at the story, and Riku. Riku, arms crossed and staring at Sora with so much  _concern_. It… It pissed him off.

Sora maintained a glare as he picked up the green slush-drink, tilted it to his lips, and took a mouthful before he could really debate the logistics of what he was doing. The sweet, lime-sherbet-like taste washed over his tastebuds, and the faintest aftertaste of something bitter settled after. Sora could hardly differentiate it from the bitterness of lime versus anything else. His glare melted and, eyes widening, he gulped and exclaimed, "Wow, that's so good!"

The silveret's expression twisted into the inscrutable one again, but his quirked smile was unmistakable. "I aim to please," he muttered.

Sora gushed, "It's like– like– liquified sour punch straws, or like, I don't know, those ice cream pops?"

Larxene laughed. "Add margarita to your vocab, loser." She lifted her glass, "Cheers!" Instinctually, Sora clinked his cup with hers, a dull sound of colliding plastic, and she nodded approvingly. The brunet clinked his glass with Riku's that still rested untouched on the table.

"What about you?"

His head tilted, smile still soft and half-mast, "What about me?"

Sora tried to bulldoze past his waning confidence. "A-are you drinking yours?"

"Would it make you feel better if I did?"

Sora wouldn't dare admit it. "C-c'mon you have to enjoy your own work."

Copying Larxene, Riku retorted, "Sure, sure." The grin grew to full strength, and he drank from his cup. "Hey, I didn't fuck it up," he said, mostly to himself. Sora shook his head, relaxing at Riku's intent inspection of his own cup, concluding with a shrug.

"It's really good, Riku," Sora reassured him, now certain he'd have to brag about this to Kairi – later. Riku's smile was grateful.

Just then, Zexion caught their attention. "We're gonna go. Thanks for the food, and the drinks," he said simply. Demyx bounced in place.

"We should do this more!" the sandy-blond said, "This was fun. You guys are cool."

Larxene scoffed in disbelief. "You just want free food and booze." The helpless roll of his shoulder in reply was a perfect confession and she flicked the ends of her hair. "I'm off too, guys. See you," she sang. The three left in a rowdy whirlwind of Sonic bags, party cups, and finally, a soft click of their room door behind them. Sora swore he saw Larxene wink at him right before she left.

It was so  _quiet_ without them, but Sora was too excited to care. He turned back to Riku in his seat. "Okay, okay, so like, when do we start feeling drunk?"

The silveret's laugh was strangled, and Sora tilted his head when Riku's rubbed his face with his palms. " _Wow_ ," Riku teased breathily, "You don't know anything."

"That's right," Sora agreed, displeased, "so tell me!"

Sora's chest felt breezy at the return of Riku's calm, cocky, and lax stretch across his chair; foot resting on his knee, arms draped casually with one hand curled around his cup like he forgot it was there. "For you? Forty-five minutes tops. In fact, eat your tots first unless you want it to hit you like a truck."

The brunet narrowed his eyes, ignoring the liquid lightening helping his blood along his veins. "Oh goody," he said, tone inching toward sarcasm.

Riku chuckled, "Don't worry, I won't let you get sick." Then as an afterthought, he added, "I don't know how I'd hold back all your spikes anyway."

"I take offense to that," Sora said, tater-tot in hand, "If I didn't know better I'd say you had something against my hair, bruh."

Riku ruffled the spikes in question, and Sora giggled. His eyes were soft when he replied. "Definitely not. Eat already, before it gets cold."

"Okay,  _mom_ ," the brunet exaggerated, but unwrapped his burger.

Somehow, the margarita was even sweeter to Sora after that.

* * *

_Riku:_

"Hey, Riku, hey, is it true chocolate cake's your favorite?" Sora asked, all subtlety drowned out of him with half of his margarita to go. Maybe Riku had made them a little strong; he couldn't tell anymore, having sipped his plenty of times already.

"That bitch," Riku thought aloud, scowling immediately. "What did Larxene tell you?"

"Jus' tell me," Sora said, his smile a lazy, sunny day. The brunet was forgetting to be shy about leaning on him on the bed-end, controller in his lap intermittently forgotten. He hadn't gotten past loading his save yet. Riku would tease him for it if it weren't so  _cute_.

The silveret's DS was placed behind him on the bed and promptly removed from his priorities. Riku's left side was warm, Sora's eyes were the ocean, and he'd be damned if he admitted to feeling his own drink even if he were three-fourths through.

"Mm, no, how about you give me your phone," Riku countered, arm darting out to grab the device. Sora leaned away quickly, but clumsily, grabbing Riku's arm for balance. It only barely saved him from falling out of his seat.

With a quick eep sound, Sora threw his free arm back with his phone in-hand. "No, no, you can't look, you'll be mad!"

Riku stretched over the lithe brunet in one swift movement, taking Sora's arm still gripping his forearm down toward the bed-end as he used it for support. It inadvertently made Sora appear like he was curled shyly under him. The brunet giggled, turning his face when Riku's long silver strands brushed across it.

"No fair," Sora continued, "You're taller than me!"

"That sounds like a 'you' problem, an egregious oversight, on your end," Riku rambled, his voice liquid pride. He snatched the phone without much further struggle, but didn't bother moving back as he scrolled past several screens of games and social media apps to get to the messages.

Sora was still relying on Riku's forearm to prevent him from falling, but with one free-hand he tried to retrieve the device back, and swat at Riku's hair. It loved Sora's face just as much as the rest of Riku did. "This is the worst," he complained, "Now I'm going to die a horrible Larxene-death, like, it's all your fault."

Riku snorted, threatening, "Stop playing with my hair, or I'm going to send a snap of you to Kairi."

"You are evil incarnate." The swishing of his hair stopped, and Sora giggled and sputtered again.

"I'm so glad we agree," Riku snickered. Sora's hip was jutting into him just above his own; being so easily distracted in this state, it was hard to ignore. It took honest effort to keep his eyes on Sora's phone, and not down, at the ridiculous, giggly, clumsy brunet below him.

He found the text and skimmed it, and promptly rolled his eyes. He plopped the device down into Sora's hand, and lifted himself away before he could debate the benefits of staying put.

Sora sat up too, kicking his feet childishly. "You don't look mad."

"I don't know why you thought I'd be mad," he replied truthfully, forgetting to act nonchalant.

"Not mad…" Sora conceded, twisting a lock of his hair in thought. Riku's hands twitched, and he cursed Larxene with every fiber of his being. For the text, and for enabling  _this_. The brunet continued, unaware, "More like, 'no one may know my dark past! I  _am_ the darkness!'" He tossed an arm over his eyes dramatically, gesturing like he were in some Shakespearean play.

"Wow,  _that's_ what you think of me?" Riku asked, a little offended but still smiling at Sora's theatrics.

"Every time I ask you something you dodge the question, edge-lord!" Sora cried, "You only  _kind of_ started answering me recently. God forbid I ask what your middle name is or, like, your favorite color."

If anyone asked, Riku had no retort because of the alcohol, and not because the brunet had a point.

"I-it's purple," he admitted dumbly, hoping that the heat on his face was just the room.

Sora stared at him doe-eyed and mouth slack in shock. Riku was about to say something, anything that would make him  _stop_ but in one fell swoop he was in Riku's space again. This time Riku leaned slightly away as Sora dipped in, a familiar mischievous 'v' shaping his lips and eyes full of wonder and drive. It was… dangerous.

"What else was Larxene right about?"

He was so preoccupied with Sora's proximity he forgot to lie. "All of it? I guess?"

"Woah, seriously?" Riku dully nodded. "Oh, shit, okay, so then what's wrong with  _Pride and Prejudice_?"

"Literally every time my mom gets dumped she makes me watch  _that_  with her. I've memorized it. It's the  _worst_." Okay, scratch that: he was going to  _kill_ Larxene later. Kill her for getting him drunk, shoving him into a room with this  _amazing, adorable, wonderful_ brunet named after the sky–

Sora's snickering that was transforming into a song more every second made the confession a little bit more worth it. The brunet whirled his upper torso around to look at the window. "What?" Riku asked, still reeling.

"Making sure you aren't getting any moonlight, y'know, since the moon makes you weird."

His hands acted on their own, flicking the back of Sora's ear that peeked out from his crazy locks of rich, chocolate-colored hair, once. "Dork, I'm just tipsy," he corrected him, relishing the way his ear dipped down to rub against his shoulder to protest the random gesture. "Why do you care so much, anyway?"

Sora turned back to him, rubbing his ear and blushing, but from the alcohol or something else, Riku couldn't tell. Either way the flush across his cheeks was drifting droves of falling cherry blossoms, torturously fleeting and beautiful and–

"We're friends," Sora pouted, properly indicting him, "as much as you seem to hate the idea." He took another sip of his margarita, clearly imitating Kermit's " _but that's none of my business_ " meme.

Sora would definitely be the death of him. "Ask then," Riku challenged him, knowing he'd regret it by morning, but was so lost in the sky in Sora's eyes he'd exchange just about anything to stay in the clouds.

Despite the halo Riku saw, Sora's smile was impish. He even put his fingers together and tried to cackle, a cheesy villain imitation that made Riku conclude, for his own sanity, he'd never let Sora drink again.

"Perfect," Sora gloated, "So, how old are you, really?"

Riku laughed; he must have been wondering since the other day. "Seventeen," he said with a grin, "and you?"

"Hey,  _I'm_ asking the questions!"

"No, no, this is a trade, it's only fair."

"You changed the rules," Sora retorted with a poke. Riku poked back, but Sora continued, giggling, "I'm… sixteen. But I turn seventeen in June, okay?"

" _Pfft,_ that's months away. You're an infant." That earned him a soft punch in the shoulder. Sora would have to come up with different tactics lest Riku develop weird habits to trick Sora into touching him.

"I don't need the commentary! Okay, next question. So, uhm, why did Larxene make you make margaritas? And how do you have a fake I.D.?"

_Shit_ , Riku thought. Sora's one-track mind took a nose-dive to the tough questions. Riku had been expecting a favorite-food inquiry. The silveret sighed, "That was two questions."

"They're related! I'm unraveling the mystery here," Sora said. His whole body was facing Riku now, legs crossed on the bed-end like a child waiting for a bedtime story.

He couldn't deny him. "I– okay, well, Larxene gave me the fake. And, I bartend most nights, and she's always at the bar, so she likes how I make them I guess…" He cursed his lips, loose from the drink and the brunet's natural calming energy. It made his guard slip, and the effort of bringing it back up was losing its appeal.

Unsurprisingly, Sora's eyebrows scrunched together, frowning in disbelief. "Woah, wait, I thought Larxene was making a joke earlier. Why are you  _bartending_?"

A familiar adrenaline rush hit his limbs like it was practical to run, and Riku retorted, "No, it's my turn." It was easy to think of a question of equal caliber to Sora's, "okay, why didn't you fight back in the bathroom? I know you can. I saw you dodge his first hit on the field."

Sora reeled back like how Riku inwardly  _felt_ , face rapidly twisting from shock into resignation. "You saw that? I–" Sora released a noise between a scoff and a helpless sigh, "L-look, that was… Promise you won't make fun of me?"

"Have I ever  _actually_  made fun of you before?" Riku countered, mouth set in a frown. Sora, sheepish, shook his head.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Okay, okay, well it's stupid. I just. If I fight back, people won't… see me the same? Like… they'll think I'm some violent hoodlum and I– hey, you're laughing!"

Not  _laughing_ , but Riku released a guffaw of disbelief. "No, no," Riku explained, "It's just– you're talking about me. I'm the violent hoodlum, Sora."

Sora sighed again. "You're not a violent hoodlum, that's not what I meant…" he mumbled, looking at his hands with undue intensity. Almost berating them. He hid them in his lap. "I just think… my parents will… be disappointed," Sora concluded, struggling to articulate.

The silveret nodded, but for once, didn't really understand. The very way he said it made it layered, like the human vocabulary didn't have a word for Sora to express the true  _why_. Riku was curious, but he could wait for future questions.

Sora shook his head as if that could physically rid himself of the gloom. "O-okay, my turn, so, tell me why on God's green earth you are  _bartending_?" He even had the same tone as before; concerned, exasperated, but amused from the liquid luck bouncing around his veins.

It was Riku's turn to sigh, eyes drifting to the side. He was used to hiding and lying. But he didn't want to lie to Sora. "It's… my mom's bar. And if I work there, that's one less employee that she loses money to, and I get tips, so…"

Sora's nose twisted with one side of his mouth, like he was adding all the pieces in his head – and of course, he had to do it in the most charming way possible. Riku was remembering why he so often kept his eyes away from the sun incarnate next to him.

Finally, Sora commented, "That's uh, definitely illegal." It was equally borne of tease and concern, but Riku frowned.

When Riku got his driver's permit, Larxene made him the first fake ID he used. The first person he showed was Mikey, and he said the same thing – but with a lot more laughter. Mikey loved the danger, the thrill of breaking the rules. It was infectious, and the only way Riku knew how to keep his sanity, to laugh along and indulge in the thrill. After all, it was his entire life. The difference now was that he knew it was a poison.

"Yeah, well, welcome to my existence."

Sora giggled, waving his hands like a rainbow. "Riku's Final Form, Ultimate Emo, emerges. But really, you have to work there?"

Riku rolled his eyes, forgetting their trade. "Someone has to pay the bills," he said, crossing his arms. His expression hardened a little, waiting for the pity he didn't need.

"Okay, but you could pay the bills by working at, like, Chik-Fil-A," Sora pouted, crossing his arms too.

"I… guess you're right," Riku acquiesced, thrown off that the needless sympathy never came. "It just… happened."

Sora nodded. "Your mom asked and you did it. I get it. But really, you should worry more about you."

That was Riku's line. "Sure,  _mom_ , thanks." He needed the spotlight away from him before he burned. "Okay, so, now that you got my life story, fess up."

"Fess up? To what?" the brunet asked, taking another sip of his drink.

"You are aware that I know zero about you? Except maybe that you have car-phobia." And that he loves Sonic shakes,  _Kingdom Hearts_ , hogging his side of the beg, and sending Riku smiles that pierce his  _soul_ –

"Oh, h-heh, uhm–" Sora flushed, drink frozen in-hand, "But you know–"

"Why don't you start there?" Riku interjected, raising his eyebrows as Sora's fidgeting distracted him. "With the car-phobia, what's that about?"

Sora raked a hand through his hair. He laughed nervously, eyes shifted to the side. "D-do you want the full version or the too-long-don't-read?"

"Full," Riku instantly replied, his smile a triumphant smirk as Sora groaned.

"Damn," Sora cursed sheepishly. "L-look, you have to promise not to tell anyone–"

"Who would I tell?" Riku retorted rhetorically, "I just bared my soul, dude."

"Yeah, you're right," Sora said, biting his lip as he thought about where to start. Riku waited by finishing off his own drink. After a moment of silence, the brunet began, "I'm not afraid of  _cars_ , i-it's basically the same as the fighting thing. I- When I said my mom was a hairdresser, that was kind of a lie. She's actually my adoptive mother."

Riku tilted his head to mask his surprise, listening. Sora continued, voice gaining momentum, "I was adopted when I was ten, after my real mom was sentenced to, I think… two years in prison, or something like that. Drug possession. Anyway, I decided from then on that I couldn't… ruin the second chance I was getting."

It was starting to make sense. "Sora, you thought leaving camp would make your adoptive parents hate you? That's–"

"I can't disappoint them, Riku," Sora said, desperate and mournful and tragically sincere, "They've done nothing but love me even though I'm  _me._  And fighting Xehanort – I couldn't –" His eyes were watering, like finally the ocean wasn't content with residing only in Sora's orbs.

He noticed Sora's hands again that had relocated to his knees during his explanation. Riku realized with horror they were  _shaking_.  _Twitching_. It wasn't the shaking like tapping a thumb, or too many cups of coffee. No, it was  _him_ – And then, the silveret understood what Sora meant.

How had Riku never noticed before?

Sora's hands relaxed a little on his knees, and Riku refocused to Sora's voice. "A-at least, until recently… you've, uh, been pushing me out of my comfort zone, so to speak, so I'm starting to think… I don't know, haha." He concluded with a nervous laugh, quickly and clumsily wiping his eyes on his forearm.

Sora hid a hand back into this lap and took a drink, not so subtly waiting for the silveret's response. "Sora…" Riku started, posture straightening in his vehemence, "your parents – or I mean, your adoptive parents – if they love you, they'd wouldn't want you to get hurt, especially not from assholes like Xehanort." He  _knew_  – he'd been a protector for a long time.

"Kairi told me the same thing," Sora said, rubbing the back of his head with a forced smile. "So, you're probably right. I just can't help myself." Riku sighed. He knew that, too, because Mikey was the same way.

Their trade of questions was forgotten again. Riku asked, almost hesitant to probe, "Do you… still see your real mom?"

Sora sniffed, his emotions retreated like the tide, and answered, "Uhm, sometimes, when she's… not in jail." Another nervous laugh, and a guilty confession, "I don't like visiting much."

And who could blame him? Ever since their rendezvous with the treacherous microwave, Riku thought that they lived in entirely separate worlds that were momentarily colliding, but he was  _wrong_. Maybe they were the same in all the worst ways.

"I'm sorry, I killed the mood," Sora apologized, his red cup tapping his chin. His frown bordered on a pout, but even that couldn't shake the twisting of Riku's stomach. Sora's eyes were rimmed in a soft red. God, what kind of friend was Riku for putting him in this state? He'd led to Sora drinking – underage – which was undoubtedly one of his nightmares. No,  _Riku_  was the epitome of all Sora's nightmares.

"No, I'm sorry," the silveret said, snatching the cup away. "We'll pretend like this never happened." Maybe then he could pretend that his chest didn't feel like each rib was a wall collapsing inside him.

"Hey!" Sora protested, instantly leaning forward, "Give that back! And, what do you mean?"

"You never got drunk," Riku said, lips in a hard line. He felt like it was the least he could do. It was easy to hold the cup just out of Sora's reach, and the brunet was making a lot of clumsy effort for retrieving it. It made it easy to forget Sora was afraid of anything at all, but Riku still held on.

"Ugh, no, that's not what I wanted you to say," Sora frowned again, "I still have questions to ask you."

"Like  _what_?" Riku practically groaned in disbelief. Already Sora was back to his normal self; he wasn't sure if he could keep up.

"Like, cats or dogs? Or, what's your favorite song? Or, ooh, where do you wanna go to college–"

"That's a  _lot_ of questions," the silveret replied. His arm got tired keeping the cup both level and away from Sora, so he relented. The brunet swiped it back, and made a perplexing show of taking another sip.

"Yeah, so, I have a deal," Sora concluded after an exaggerated ' _ah_ ' from his drink, tapping his fingers together in a 'v' like evil businessmen do in Hollywood. Riku narrowed his eyes and rolled his wrist in a silent, hesitating: " _go on_ ".

Sora sobered a little, meeting Riku's gaze in earnest. The silveret blinked back at him, swallowing his apprehension. "Y-you make me brave, and I can make you talk. That's the deal. I can't be afraid all the time anymore because it's stupid, and you can't keep holding everything in."

"Says who? It's like, the one thing I'm good at," Riku replied, exasperated. Sometimes, Riku wasn't sure if Sora was a ditz, or a genius. The word  _brave_  was spending an inordinate amount of time replaying in Sora's voice inside Riku's mind.

The brunet merely giggled at his rebuttal. "Not to me. C'mon, us emos have to stick together."

Aqua eyes rolled briefly to the ceiling, a quick reprise from the way Sora looked so  _hopeful,_  cheeks flushed from his drink and eyes a kaleidoscope of blue –

"So you want me… to help you get over your random phobias?" He indulged in the idea that he  _could_. A sober Riku wouldn't dare.

He finally admitted to himself that he was tipsy when his throat tightened at Sora's overly-enthusiastic nod, a brunet bobble-head. Sora added, "And I'll get you to talk to me whether your tipsy or the moon is out."

"Fair trade," Riku replied sarcastically. And yet, if it was Sora, maybe he didn't mind it.

"Great!" Zealous, Sora stuck out his pinky with a wide, triumphant grin. It still shook, but less – Riku only noticed because he was looking for it. "Pinky-square it!"

Chuckling incredulously, Riku briefly face-palmed. "You mean pinky-swear."

"Uh, no, when you link pinkies they make a square!" the brunet pouted stubbornly. He wiggled his pinky to make the point.

Riku could argue, but  _why_  when Sora did  _that_? God, were they having the same  _conversation_? But the brunet was insistent, pinky still held up expectantly, and Riku was smiling. Sora smiled back, and just like that, it seemed like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

"Fine, fine – pinky-square." He linked a pinky with Sora's, desperately ignoring how hot his ears felt.

It was goofy, and the silveret was convinced this promise would lead nowhere. Even so, his heart skipped a beat when Sora giggled out, "That's a binding contract; you're trapped now!"

The doom and gloom was gone. Riku found himself laughing along, and then challenging, "Oh yeah? So are you, dork." His grin was plotting, though there was no substance behind it.

"Oh shit, you're serious. Now I'm scared," Sora sang. Somehow they had let their pinkies stay connected even as they rested their arms on their knees, forgetting to be embarrassed about the contact.

"Yep, I'm the worst." He meant it, but his grin was soft.

"Ugh, you're not. Hey, you never finished  _358/2 Days_ ," the brunet said, eyes spotting the closed DS resting on the bed. Riku had forgotten he'd put it there – and Sora must have forgotten his many questions he threatened to ask. Riku retrieved the console one-handedly, flipping it open with a satisfying click.

"Give me an hour, and I'll probably finish it," Riku proposed. Sora nodded, scooting closer to see the screen. Their hands finally lost contact, but their shoulders quickly made up for it. He thought about teasing Sora about it, but decided he preferred his clueless, childishly excited stare at the DS, viewable with just a quick glance to Riku's right.

"Says the tipsy man. Bet it takes you two."

"Challenge accepted."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For this entire fic, from what I've re-written so far, this is my second-favorite chapter. I hope you liked it, too! Leave a comment if you did?
> 
> Thanks for reading! Sorry this chapter was so long nervous sweat.


	11. Exposed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter was inspired by Exposed by (... you guessed it) Dance Gavin Dance.

**~ Chapter 11: Exposed ~**

* * *

_Sora:_

A combination of too much heat and too much light streaming through the blinds of the window woke Sora from deep sleep. This was becoming a pattern. Eyes still heavy and resisting the pull of consciousness, he blinked in little spurts of flutters, feet kicking the blankets in vain. They weren't going anywhere.

Finally, his eyes opened, and was met with Riku's slumbering face. Sora was too drowsy to be  _surprised_ , per se, but flinched at the proximity. Groggily, he stared; the silveret was obviously deep in sleep, breathing even and quiet. The soft glow of the day peeking through the window highlighted his pale, clear skin. It was kind of… unfair, how flawless Riku was. Sora could always count on a splash of pimples and freckles across his own face.

It was also unfair for Riku to sleep on. Grumbling, the brunet complained, "Ri~ku, my head hurts." He untangled his arm from the sheets and rubbed his forehead with his palm, taking care not to elbow the silveret in the face.

When he didn't stir, Sora glared and sighed. He poked Riku in the cheek, voice gaining conviction. "Hey. Take responsibility."

The silveret's nose twitched, and after a beat of silence, he turned over almost like a conscious protest. But, Sora gave up; at least now he could slip out of the bed unnoticed, with Riku's arm no longer around him. Sora shivered as he recognized the loss of warmth, but ignored it with cheeks threatening a blush.

It was too early for this.

He grabbed his phone, mind finally present enough to conjure memories of the night before. He hardly remembered going to bed at all, or what they did after Riku beat  _358/2 Days_. Maybe nothing. He looked at his notifications, clicking the messages he received. With a smile, he realized their missing friends finally decided to check in.

" _Having fun w/o me?_ " Axel asked, followed by several crying emojis. Sora bit his lip to hold back a laugh. He told the redhead about him and Riku's fate about a week ago; he was jealous, and told Sora he had a plot to get him sent back to camp, too. Sora told him not to get into too much trouble, which of course was met with " _no promises_ ".

" _Sorry! We got Sonic last nite. First normal food in 4ever!_ " Sora typed in summary. The thought of explaining the margaritas was too embarrassing to attempt; and, maybe he wanted it to be his and Riku's secret.

His conversation with Namine was a stream of images and links; she sent a picture of her competition painting, a renaissance rendition of the river they floated down weeks ago. Then, there was lots of anime-style renditions of everyone as mer-people, superheroes, and video game characters. Sora saved several to his phone, because how could he ever pass up octopus-Riku, and shark-men Axel and Roxas? Namine's was like an albino angel fish; it brought a smile to Sora's face.

It was astounding, her skill level – but considering how Sora couldn't imagine her  _without_ a sketch pad, it made sense. The last message was a link to her blog and a request:  _if you read the doujinshi, don't tell Roxas!_ It had many blush and prayer emotes. Sora didn't know what a 'doujinshi' was, but hadn't had the time to even look at the blog.

" _Secrets safe with me!_ " he replied, " _Ur art is so amazing! C u soon 3_ "

Finally, he got to Roxas's simple message: " _Won the tournament. Wanna try at camp?_ "

Sora huffed. Sora could tell every sport they played that the blond had instincts clearly earned. He typed, " _Of course u won. Congrats~_ " But he hesitated on the offer; Struggle was a combat-type sport. His chest still trembled at the thought of doing  _anything_ like that. He resorted to lying, " _I'm shit at struggle. Hb basketball? C u soon!_ "

That was the second time he'd said that. Was soon really that close on the horizon? Sora realized by the date on the top bar on his phone that, yes, his time with Riku alone would actually come to an end. Inexplicably, that was a surprise. He was looking forward to it less than he thought he would.

Finally, he noticed that he had a voicemail – from his foster parents. Again, he was shocked that he missed the call; he never had before. Moreover, they hadn't corresponded since the start of camp; this had to be the  _longest_ Sora had gone without checking in. He wasn't sure if the feeling bubbling in his stomach was apprehension or pride in that fact.

Nevertheless, he instantly pressed play on the recording, lifting the phone to his ear away from Riku, hoping it wouldn't be loud enough to wake him.

" _Hi honey!"_ his foster mother's voice called out. Just very the sound filled Sora with comfort. His foster dad interjected,  _"you mean, konnichiwa!"_

_"Yes, konnichiwa, Sora-chan!"_

_"Sora-_ **_kun_ ** _."_

You could almost hear Sora's mom stick her tongue out at her husband.  _"Anyway, are you having fun? We miss you so much! We're in Tokyo! We are going to go to the museum you suggested, the one about Studio jib- ah, no gib- Ghibli with all the movies you like?"_

_"We are going to bring you so much stuff, you'll be sick of it!"_ his foster dad added.

_"We just can't stop thinking about you, Sor. Japan reminds us of you too much!"_

_"Don't hate us, okay? We will take you next time."_

_"Well, international calls are expensive so we gotta go. Have fun! We love you, sweetheart! See you soon!"_

And the message ended as quickly as it began. When he guided the phone back to face him, the screen had little droplets of water obscuring it. With an embarrassed sniff he used the sheet to wipe the tears off, then his palm on his own face.  _God,_ he missed them.

He waited for the guilt to set in, the swirling thoughts of how  _dare_ he not text them, call them, this whole time? Now he was keeping  _secrets,_  too. And yet, it never came. Small streams of tears continued a slow descent down his face, but he stayed smiling.

He navigated to a group chat of his foster parents. Leon was also included in the chat, but he hardly ever replied. The last message was from Sora's foster mom, informing them they landed in Japan safely. The brunet replied, " _srry I missed ur call. Send pics of the museum! Luv u, miss u guys._ " Surprisingly, Leon replied only moments after: " _ditto. Be safe._ "

Sora giggled; Leon must be lonely if he's finally participating in the family group-messages.

The tears had finally stopped. The tranquility Sora felt was raw and new, and yet it reminded him of the moment he realized in Larxene's car that he wasn't afraid anymore. He turned to Riku, and breathed a laugh that he slept through all that.

He checked his notifications one more time; his heart kicked into action when he noticed Kairi had snapped him – several times – and had  _screenshot_ some picture he had sent. Wh-when had he snapped Kairi? He didn't remember.

The snaps were videos and so Sora decided to retreat to the bathroom to listen, and to clean up his face. He sat on the sink counter, holding his breath when he finally tapped the snap to load.

" _Sora Stride!_ " Kairi yelled, no filters this time, " _Are you_ ** _drinking_** _without me? And who's the chick?_ " Sora winced, some memory returning. Larxene had returned to fill her glass with the rest of the margaritas Riku had made, right as he was fighting the very last boss of the DS game. He vaguely remembered taking a picture when Riku finished the fight victorious, and Larxene had photo-bombed. Sora  _may_ have been holding up his empty cup too, for reasons  _beyond_ his own understanding. Maybe he had a death wish after all.

Kairi continued in the next snap, " _I'm holding the photo as blackmail for the rest of my life, and there's nothing you can do to stop me._ " It was hard not to snicker at that, but he gulped when her next snap was just a photo of her with the demon-filter on, eyes completely black, and the text: " _answer me u lil shit_ ".

So he did. He spoke quietly into the camera, recording with one thumb on the button, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! The girl was Larxene, she's… Riku knows her? And Riku made us margaritas – they were really good! Uhm," Sora paused, looking away with blushing cheeks and heart pounding, "Maybe I'll try the drinks you like when I get back. Does that make it better?"

He hit the send before he became too embarrassed and deleted the clip. Kairi replied a little too quickly, but it was just a photo this time. She was back to normal, a cute pink filter with hearts around her face and the text: " _Riku made them? I'm sooooo jelly. I'm keeping the pic tho._ "

Sora replied with only text: " _you're not mad?_ "

" _I am a little,_ " she replied, the typing symbol still emoting in the corner of the screen, " _It looks like you're having fun._ " She didn't need to type it for Sora to finish her thought:  _without me_.

The brunet paused, the air momentarily caught in his lungs. He felt like an idiot. He took another snap, a picture using her favorite filter: the one with black cat ears and whiskers. The text read, " _I'm sorry, Kai. I luv & miss u._" And he meant it. She was his best friend, and nothing could change that – she just might share that title, now. But she still deserved better.

Her reply was a comforting return picture in the same filter, her cheeks puffed up and blue eyes crossed. " _Duh! Miss u 2. Keep me in the loop next time!_ "

" _I will, I promise! Send the pic?_ " Sora requested, curious on the level of incrimination it held.

She sent it, and under it teased, " _It's a keeper_."

And it was. Sora and Riku sat side-by-side, Sora grinning ear-to-ear holding up a peace sign and an arm around the silveret next to him, incriminating red cup in-hand. Riku was smiling a little too, but bashfully, a peace sign of his own weakly lifted even as he continued to hold the DS. Behind Riku Larxene was winking with her tongue out, bunny ears above Riku's head. The black bar Sora sent to Kairi held a misspelled, " _Riku beat Days!1!1_ "

Sora couldn't bring himself to let the photo be erased by Snapchat; he took a screenshot, too. What's one more tiny secret? Besides, Kairi had it, too, and knew she would, in fact, keep it forever.

After Kairi read the screenshot notification, she typed again. " _Can I put it on fb?_ " followed by a kiss-face and halo emoji.

Sora was relieved; they were okay again. " _No! U better not!_ "

* * *

_Riku:_

"What… what are you doing?" Riku asked to a focused, quiet Sora. The brunet was sitting at the table, legs perched on a second chair and crossed, face hidden in a red-orange hardcover novel. He'd never seen Sora so still, not even in his sleep.

He stood behind the brunet at the table, fresh from a shower. Upon emerging, he expected exclamations of hunger, or teasing that he took too long in the shower again – but here he was, next to a Sora he'd never seen before.

He kind of missed the noise.

"Hey," Riku said again, flicking the back of Sora's ear, "What are you… reading?" He answered his own question with a glance, spotting the book title in the upper left corner of the book in Sora's hand:  _Fahrenheit 451_.

Sora blinked rapidly like coming out of a trance, and looked at the silveret over his shoulder. One more blink and his face lit up. "Riku, you're finally out of the shower!"

There was the critique-greeting he was waiting for. Sora continued, glancing at the novel, "This is one of the summer reading books." He frowned defensively, "We won't have time before school starts to finish the books, so I thought I'd start now."

Riku sat in the chair next to him, scowling back, "I'm pretty sure you're the only one who  _reads_  the summer reading."

"That's not true! K-kairi reads them. I think," Sora said, voice trailing in doubt, tilting the book to rest cutely against his chin. It took some effort not to stare. If his inebriated dreams last night were to be trusted, it was only going to get more difficult from here.

Maybe Riku was getting good at reading Sora back, because there was something in the way his blue eyes shifted and the way his book crawled further up his face like he was trying to hide unknowingly – and he understood. "Ah, I get it. You're doing schoolwork because you feel guilty about yesterday."

"N-no," Sora weakly protested, and Riku knew he hit the nail on the head. Sora gave a small, sheepish smile before he gave up the ghost. "Okay, maybe a little bit. Sue me. But c'mon, you probably have summer books to read, too,  _senior_."

Riku was sure he did, but he hadn't even bought the novels. "Yeah, but I don't really see the point in reading them," Riku replied, lifting the edge of the book's page with a finger distractedly. The title " _senior_ " hit him hard, a reminder that he'd made it this far – but  _he_  hadn't. Did Riku even deserve it?

When aqua eyes finally left the empty table, Sora was looking at him expectantly, like there was more to the thought. Riku stared back, confused, until the brunet narrowed his eyes. "No point?" he asked.

"…Yeah," Riku affirmed, suddenly wishing they were talking about anything else. He didn't like the look Sora was giving him; it was knowing and eager.

"You're doing the thing," Sora finally said, lips almost quirking like it was a victory he noticed, but faltered, "Tell me – you pinky-squared." He concluded in almost a mumble, cheeks the same splash of cherry blossom pink from the night before.

_He remembered,_ the silveret thought, and for the briefest moment his pinky felt warm again, like when they had linked them in their drunken promise. Riku didn't know what  _the thing_ was that gave him away, but he simply didn't have the capacity to question it with Sora looking like  _that_. There was no getting out of this one; he'd have to force the truth – at least, part of it – from his cold, crippled mouth.

He sighed, and looked to the side. "No point, if just… don't go." This was much easier with liquid courage.

But Sora didn't seem to mind, his blush replaced with wide, curious eyes. "If you don't go where? To school?"

Riku nodded, and added quickly, "My mom needs more help at the bar, so it'd probably be best if–"

Sora lifted the book from the table and tossed at Riku mid-sentence. The silveret stopped it from tumbling off the table once it hit the top, but Sora started speaking even before the pages settled. "You can't drop out, Riku!"

Riku expected anger, not the exasperation. He hated how Sora looked hurt  _for_ him. The silveret countered with conviction, "My GPA is utterly abysmal, Sora. I'd probably just end up running her place anyway, so – it just makes sense."

It did make sense, to Riku. But even he hadn't let the idea be anything more than that – a thought, a way out if he handled his senior year anything like he did his sophomore and junior years. He was just so  _tired_  of pretending there could be something else in store for him once he reached the eighteen-year-old imaginary finish line.

Sora disagreed, scoffing. "No, dude, it doesn't have to be that way. And even if it  _did_ ," Sora said in warning, seeing Riku's jaw attempt to open, "Having your high school diploma is better than none. Or, you could get like, a business degree or something, and make the bar so successful that your mom could swim in a pool of money. Or margaritas. Whatever."

Riku had to snort at that. His mom would probably cry tears of joy at the sight of a pool filled with tequila; Larxene, too. He appreciated the dream – just didn't know if he had the capacity to believe in it. Unsure what to say, the silveret shrugged, and slid the book back over. "You were on page 139."

Sheepish, Sora smiled. "Oh, thanks," he giggled at himself, "Sorry, I didn't mean to actually throw it at you. It slipped through my hand."

Their eyes met, and Sora's eyes were a kaleidoscope of blue hope – enough for the two of them. It was an infectious warmth, and the silveret found himself smiling back at Sora like his idea of dropping out was a  _joke_  the whole time.

Riku chuckled back softly. "I think the book needs the apology more than me."

Sora didn't reply, but swiveled in his chair and dipped under the table. After some shuffling, he procured another book, a little thinner than the other novel and a dark, navy blue. He turned back and slid it to Riku, who stared at Sora for an explanation.

"I-I'd bet twenty dollars that that book's on your reading list. It's  _Frankenstein_. Read it."

The tips of Sora's ears were red, and Riku's hands twitched. He lifted the book from the brunet's outstretched hand and considered it, turning it over like it were glass. The brunet teased, recovering, "I think you'll like it. It's an emo classic, after all."

With a half-grin and a roll of his eyes, Riku tapped the tip of the book on Sora's head.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, grin still in place, "Apologize to the book!"

Riku shook his head, but said, "I'll read it."

That earned him a blinding, full-mouthed grin and two thumbs-up. Maybe he could stick it out for school after all.

Riku finished with a cocky grin of his own. "But you still have to finish  _Kingdom Hearts II_."

"It's a deal!"

* * *

_Sora:_

Why they were eating here, in the admin lounge, instead of their room, was beyond Sora. It seemed to be a decision of coincidence; Riku sat on the couch that looked like it was haphazardly thrown in the corner for lack of another place to put it, his bowl of Lucky Charms in hand, while Sora struggled with the toaster and strawberry Poptarts.

Riku was casually strewn across a little over half the couch, leaning against the shoulder cushion with the arm that held his bowl. His eyes were amused and piercing, observant even after hours of gaming, and in the silveret's case, reading. Sora tried not to feel self conscious as he leaned against the counter, the toaster ticking away behind him, his arms crossed as they discussed the merits of getting the Ultima Blade before finishing  _Kingdom Hearts II_.

"But how many hours would it add to get to the end?" Sora asked, zealous to reach the end and settle the bet that he could finish the game before camp restarted.

Riku smirked, tapping his foot. "You have plenty of time," he said, "I'll even let you look up a guide." He took another bite of his cereal proudly, like he won something.

Sora scoffed, frowning. "Well,  _yeah_ , it would be impossible without one!"

"Not impossible, just… Difficult," Riku corrected, voice light and teasing. His grin made Sora wonder if he meant it would be difficult for  _him_ or  _Sora_.

The brunet opened his mouth to continue the argument, but the Poptarts behind him leapt up with a sudden and loud  _shink_ , causing Sora to practically jump out of his skin. He even made a rather effeminate  _ahk_  sound in his surprise.

Sora whirled around, ears hot, when Riku choked out a laugh that turned into barely suppressed chuckling. Scowling, Sora snatched the hot pastries onto a plate and walked over next to Riku. With a huff, he sat down with more force than necessary. Riku's form bounced just the littlest bit, the milk in his bowl threatening to splash over the sides.

It earned him the response he wanted: "Sorry, sorry, it's just – you and  _appliances_." Well, he wanted the first part, not so much the second.

" _Most_ human beings get jump-scared by the toaster, Riku," Sora defended himself, his scowl quickly breaking into his smile. "One of these times I'll get you, and I will laugh into eternity."

"My friend, Mikey, tried for years and failed so – Good luck with that," he replied, steadying his bowl. Then, his smirk faltered and he looked to the side, eyebrows knitting together like he was disturbed with himself. It quickly devolved into a spaced-out stare at nothing.

Sora tilted his head, curious. What just happened? He took a bite into the first Poptart, flicking a crumb at the silveret to break him out of the sudden reverie.

It worked. "Hey," Riku said, blinking, "Gross." He shook his head, and smirked back at Sora – he was back. Sora would normally interrogate the silveret over these things, but he'd get a pass this time – just this once.

Sora giggled, pelting another at him, "That's what you get."

Riku sent him a confused look, but kept his half grin. He lifted his bowl to drink the milk therein, and single-handedly threw back a crumb with a trajectory toward Sora's face, probably his forehead. Just like when Xehan threw that first punch on the field, Sora moved  _just enough_  that the little bit of hard bread flew past. The difference this time was his playful smile and Riku's equally mischievous, challenging grin.

Sora took another quick bite of the Poptart before tossing another crumb at Riku, who caught it with purpose this time. Sora swallowed and readied himself for him to pelt it back, and he happily obliged. It was easily dodged, but Sora realized almost too late that it was intentionally so; Riku struck out his hand to poke Sora in the side while he was distracted. Unfortunately for Riku, Sora's instincts were flawless, and he managed to flinch so that his well-played jab missed.

"Oh, hell no," Riku said, aqua eyes smoldering, his smile harder. Sora's Poptarts were set with little care on his armrest cushion and he giggled, glaring back with a clear message:  _bring it on_.

He did. Riku's now-empty bowl was released from his hand and tumbled to the floor, but neither teen paid it mind. Riku's hands flew toward Sora's ribs, Sora's hands instinctually raising to deflect. Being immobile, it was impossible for Sora to deflect them  _all_ , and so he decided – or rather, instinctually reacted – to play back, using his long-practiced jabs and poke-turned strikes.

Sora flinched when Riku hit a rib  _just right_ ; it summoned an uncontrollable giggle to his lips, body curling in want to defend that spot from further attack. But then his balance shifted, and the couch did no favors in stabilizing him, nor Sora and Riku's continued poke-war, and the brunet started to slip. With a laugh, a catch of Riku's wrist, and a swivel of a leg he took the silveret down with him to the floor.

Riku's back hit the ground with a satisfying  _oomph_ , and their laughter died – the silveret catching his breath, and Sora realizing all at once they  _fell_.

"Oh my god, Riku, are you okay?" the brunet gasped, releasing the wrist he held. The words were like a magnifying glass for his consciousness, and all at once Sora realized he had  _flung_ Riku off the couch with him. Maybe  _hurt_ him.

The silveret released a breath like a sigh or a silent  _wow_. Sora couldn't even make eye contact, rapidly reeling in on himself. Not only had he likely hurt him, he used  _karate_ and that's  _so not okay_  for him and he bet his hands were  _shaking_  and–

"Ha, yeah, of course," Riku released a bark of a laugh, " _Fuck_ , dude, you're a goddamn  _ninja_."

Sora's eyes snapped up to his, and his breath stilled. Riku looked  _amazed_ ,  _impressed_ , back at him. His eyes were shining lightening, mouth parted even though his breath was already caught, locks of his hair tugging free of the ponytail, likely from the fall.

Sora didn't know what he felt, but it was…  _new_.

He just stared at Riku, who was chuckling to himself and pushing his hair back. "Where did you  _learn_ that?" he asked.

"I, I do k-karate," Sora stuttered out, so shocked that Riku was  _more_ than okay.

" _Do_  seems like an understatement, but okay," Riku commented, smiling. Then he paused, eyes losing adrenaline as he observed Sora, "Are  _you_ okay?"

"Y-yeah," Sora lied in panic, "I've just never– er– you sure you're okay?"

Riku looked at him strangely, a mix of plotting and concern flitting across his features, before he smiled again and pushed them. Sora was not expecting it, and too horrified-shocked with himself to fight. In a mere second Riku had their positions switched. Sora blinked rapidly when Riku loomed over him, a prideful smirk taunting him.

"I win," Riku said simply. He even reached to the poptarts miraculously still teetering on the couch and took a bite from one before handing it to the bewildered brunet.

"How does that make you win?" the brunet protested, his mouth flying without thought to accompany it. Riku's weight settled on his hips like he was content to stay there, chewing on his bite of pastry so  _casually_. Sora's heart-rate wasn't decreasing, and the panic in his stomach was melting into something different, like a fluttering, soft nervousness.

And yet, somehow, all at once, Sora realized that it was  _okay_.

"I've got you pinned," Riku said. The brunet could tell him that he, in fact,  _didn't_ , and he debated about five different ways he knew he could flip them again. But he had the poptarts in his hands.

And, the door to the admin lounge opened.

The two gave twin blank gazes toward the door, turning their heads. Zexion's eyes swept the room as he entered and eventually landed on the two boys on the floor and returned the same blank stare. Then it clicked, and the blue-tinted-black-haired male  _blushed,_ reprimanding, " _Here_ , guys? Here? Ugh."

He whirled in his spot and practically ran away, the door slamming behind him. What was  _that_ about?

When Sora turned back to Riku, his cheeks were a little pink, too. Though what for, Sora could only guess. He took a bite of the pop tart as Riku stared at the door, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"What's his deal?" Sora asked.

Riku gazed back down to Sora, eyebrows raised like  _you really don't get it_? Sora scowled, "What? We'll clean up the crumbs."

The silveret cracked a smile and shook his head. In one swift movement, he was off Sora and standing, outstretching a hand to lift him up, too. He took the hand and was launched up.

"Yeah, don't want Xemnas on our case," Riku said, leaning to pick up his bowl. Sora was glad it was empty when it fell.

"Pfft, like he'd do anything," Sora said, the adrenaline still bouncing around his body like a rubber ball.

Their eyes met again when Sora was mid-bite again, and Riku chuckled. "Well, with a  _black belt_ here, I don't think anyone will."

Sora had never felt as strong as he did right then.

* * *

_Riku:_

"Is that a threat?" Riku taunted, eyes not lifting from his borrowed novel.

"May~be," Sora replied, equally entranced with his own fantasy on the TV screen. There was no danger in his voice, just a hint of distraction and amusement, and yet it still made the words on the page blur as Sora's words filled his head.

"Beware, Sora; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful." It was all Riku could do to keep up with this little game, one that he doubted Sora even knew they were playing.

"Why do I get the feeling that's from  _Frankenstein_?"

_Shit_ , Riku thought,  _caught_. "Because it is," he admitted, finally caving into a glance at the lithe brunet beside him. He instantly regretted it; there was some insanely appealing way Sora balanced strength and childish posture, all crossed legs and bitten lips, with twitching forearm muscles full of evidence that he could deck just about anyone effortlessly.

"I'm so proud of you." Sora glanced back, a full smile affirming the sentiment. Riku scowled.

"Whatever, mom. How far are you into  _Fahrenheit 451_?"

"Pretty far – it's just so  _weird_ , like, everyone's burning books and dying."

"I'm sure its deeper than that, Sora." Riku's eyes returned to skimming over text, not comprehending it, and starting over – his mind was still on their conversation, and Sora.

"Probably – oh, hey, Larxene!"

Riku snapped his head up so fast he felt a hint of vertigo. Larxene stood half-way through their door, eyes wide in surprise of getting caught – and probably at the warm greeting.

She spoke first. "H-hey, kids." She slipped through the door fully, arms crossed in her usual attitude, but the more Riku watched, the more he felt like something was  _off_. "You nerds can keep playing your video games. Where's the vodka?"

The bite in her voice was severely lacking, and she wouldn't look up to meet the boys eyes. Her crossed arms began to look more like a self-hug.

Riku glanced back at Sora, who met his eyes. The brunet was concerned, lips in a nearly imperceptible frown. He mouthed to the silveret, " _What's wrong?_ " He nodded his head to the blond, and Riku gave a slight nod back. If Sora saw it, too, then something must be amiss.

With a sigh, he set his book down on the bed, pages down to keep his place. He stood and paced over to the blonde, who looked up in a panic. When she realized Riku was walking over, the panic melted to a weak glare, and she adjusted her posture to appear taller, straighter.

Riku leaned against the fridge. "What happened?" he asked, crossing his arms. He kept his distance from Larx, in case she wanted to run.

He'd only seen Larxene upset once or twice. Once, she got so wasted at the bar she cried and laughed at the same time before bolting to the bathroom to puke. Riku and Deni, his mom, drove her home with them, and she took the couch. She never talked about it, so he never knew the cause and frankly, didn't care. The second time, it was a fight between her and Deni. She incessantly called his mom, leaving messages that started vicious but devolved into drunken "I'm sorry"s and "you're my best friend". Riku knew, because his mom played the messages on speaker, drinking wine, and eventually responded in kind. That's just how they were.

A simple glance, even in the dim light of the room, confirmed that Larx had been crying, her jade eyes lined in a mean red. "N-nothing," she denied, looking to the side. "I just want the vodka. Where is it?"

"In the freezer," Riku complied, but didn't move. "Did mom say something to you?"

He didn't know  _why_ he was asking her about what happened, why he  _cared_. But he didn't want her to run off to her room and drink herself till sickness and cry all night. She was all alone at this camp, save Riku, and he was probably the only one who knew.

The blonde sighed, and sniffed. "It's that fucking  _idiot_ Sam. He said that I'm a  _bad influence_ and so he doesn't want me around Deni and – fuck, just who does he think he is!  _Fucking threatening me_? I've been here way longer and –"

She took a deep breath, catching herself on the rant. After another weak glare at Riku, she mumbled, "It's whatever."

Riku tilted his head. It  _was_  whatever, because he knew that there was  _no way_ his mom would go even a week without talking to Larxene, and if Sam couldn't deal, well…

See you, asshole.

"If it's any consolation, you're way better than he is," Riku said, hoping it was comforting.

She sniffed roughly. " _Right_?" she vehemently agreed, "I just don't get why Deni would l-listen to him at all…" By the way her eyes watered again, Riku knew that's what hurt.

He wasn't sure what to say, other than it would blow over, but he doubted that would make her feel better. His instinct was new, but he followed it, and took the couple steps over. It was a little awkward, but he wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened at the contact, eyes wide in surprise – he couldn't blame her; they hadn't been familiar since he was a  _child_. But after a moment, when he didn't let go, she sniffed a little rougher and returned the embrace. Her face in his chest, she seemed so much more fragile than the Larx who harassed him 24/7.

It wasn't a long hug, but when she pulled away, she looked a lot better; her smirk was a little more sincere, eyes a little more hopeful. "I still want the vodka," she said.

Riku chuckled; he wasn't surprised, but he was less afraid she'd poison herself. He retrieved the bottle from the freezer and handed it to her. "Take it easy," he said. "If you get sick, I won't make you margaritas."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, go mother your cute date, not me." Normally, Riku would get defensive on her tease, but this time he let it go; she meant no harm by it, after all. A little louder, she said, "I'm off! Thanks boys~"

It would be a lie if Riku said he wasn't relieved that her flirty lilt returned. Sora waved with a smile, and she slipped out the door with a wink at the silveret.

Another sigh, and Riku returned to his spot next to Sora. He opened his mouth to explain, but Sora beat him to it. "I heard," he said, smile soft. "So much for hating her."

Riku laughed, bumping shoulders with the brunet. He laughed back and protested that he was in the middle of a fight, but didn't retaliate. The silveret replied, somewhat to himself, "Maybe I never did."

Sora nodded, beaming with surprise, like he was bursting at the seams with praise he wasn't articulating. Riku hid behind his book to hide his hot cheeks.

_"There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand," right, Shelley?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You can pry my soft Larxene from my cold, dead hands.
> 
> Thanks for reading! :D Comment if you liked? Also, the tumblrs: kaiserin-astraia


	12. Sol Solis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Chapter title inspired by Moving Mountain's Sol Solis.
> 
> **TW** : Mentions of Suicide / Mourning / Intense Grief
> 
> This chapter is dedicated to my friend, Travis. I love you always, Rest in Paradise.

 

**Chapter 12: Sol Solis**

* * *

_Sora:_

As if in revenge of seeing Larxene weak, she returned the next day smiling bright with work for Sora and Riku, 'handed down by Xemnas'. She may have been honest, but she seemed a little  _too_ happy to give them excuse to leave their room.

Turned out, it was simply checking the sports equipment inventory with Demyx. Sora was shocked at how much was there; countless basketballs, baseballs, footballs, volleyballs and various rackets, chemicals for pool maintenance, and field paint for the grass, all with plenty of spiderwebs. Sora almost felt sorry for them, as Riku had no problem tearing them down while Demyx whimpered.

"Hueeghhh," Demyx shuddered, "Thanks, Riku. You're braver than me."

The silveret rolled his eyes. "They're harmless."

Sora counted a row of basketballs and added the number on the sheet he held with a clipboard. "Where's Zexion?" Sora asked, turning to the still-cringing sandy-blond.

"Oh, he's handling paperwork for the next set of kids coming in," Demyx replied, his voice mopey. He said it like Sora and Riku weren't part of the category, like he forgot they weren't  _working_ there.

"That close to starting again, huh?" Sora continued, a mix of excited and disappointed. It was wild, that the late nights with Riku and  _Kingdom Hearts_ and sonic trips would come to an end. It had felt infinite.

"Yep, July ninth, only a couple days off." Demyx started counting footballs, looking excited.

But Riku paused, turning to listen with a fallen expression. "What day is today?" he asked, alarm underlying his voice. Sora knit his eyebrows together, but the silveret didn't look to see the concern.

Demyx glanced at his phone and replied genially, "The sixth." The blond groaned when he looked back up, having lost count of the footballs, and started again, using his fingers.

Sora would have laughed, except Riku's demeanor darkened. Even his eyes, normally a bright, crisp aquamarine, dimmed to a stormy grey-blue, but he said nothing, lips carefully flat. He turned back to continue swiping webs with a broom, every movement rigid and forced.

The brunet would have said something, save the presence of Demyx holding him back. He thought maybe Riku didn't look forward to camp restarting, considering how little he cared for it before. But, everything was different now, right? He'd have to ask later.

Hesitantly, he turned his attention back to the sandy-blond who was recounting some college party he went to last semester. Sora had the sneaking suspicion that him and Riku would end up doing all the counting, at this rate.

Sora asked about it later, when they were finally released to entertain themselves. Blue eyes stayed trained carefully on the game – he was nearing the end of  _Kingdom Hearts II_  – when he spoke, wanting to appear as nonchalant as possible. "So, what was wrong earlier?"

"What do you mean?" Riku asked, voice light from distraction. He was still reading  _Frankenstein_ , and with some pride Sora noted, he seemed to like it.

"With Demyx," Sora explained, "He mentioned the date, and you looked upset." He gave in and glanced over, and frowned when Riku flinched. He kept staring at the book, but his eyes were boring into one spot; he wasn't reading.

"It was nothing," Riku said, voice flat. Sora suppressed a scoff – it was definitely  _not_ nothing, if Riku's tense shoulders and dark eyes were telling (and they always were). Sora tried to wrack his brain on what it could be. He hadn't had to drag anything out of Riku since the promise, which only made whatever this was more ominous.

Sora got distracted by a group of Heartless attacking on-screen, and thought as he fought, forgetting to reply to Riku. An idea came to him, albeit not a great one, but he figured it was worth a shot. When he found a save point, he retrieved his phone and found his conversation with Larxene.

" _Did something happen 2 Riku around this time of year? Like… anniversary?"_ He felt ridiculous typing it out, but he hit send anyway; he could take Larx's teasing if it got him answers.

She replied about ten minutes later, and Sora had to pause the game to reply. "Kairi?" Riku asked curiously, and the brunet almost jumped like he was caught.

"N-no," Sora said instinctually, then realized he should probably lie. "My mom – foster, I mean."

Riku nodded. Sora expected some snarky comment, but when none came he became even more concerned. He read Larxene's response: " _Uh, wut? idk._ " She sent another right after, adding: " _i'd ask deni 4 u, but… not sure she'd reply._ "

Sora was touched Larxene thought to ask at all, and felt guilty for mentioning it. " _Don't worry about it. Srry,_ " he said.

Dead end there. Biting his lip in thought, he scrolled up on the conversation, rereading what Larxene told him about Riku that night that seemed so recent and distant at the same time. He got to ask Riku about everything she said, hadn't he?

There was only one thing Larxene mentioned that Riku never talked about. Sora had forgotten to ask, and there was something in the way he shut Larxene down when she mentioned that person – Mikey? – that made Sora's blood run cold, chest tight. Riku only mentioned him  _once_ this entire time, and he was beginning to think there was a reason for that.

It was the only thing Sora could think of that would possibly spur Riku to lie, but maybe he was just imagining things.

Riku had returned to reading the novel, eyes glazed over, expression distant. Sora could wait to ask. He needed more cause.

The cause came the next day at lunch. First, it was the fact Riku was up before Sora, which was unprecedented, but Sora could brush it off. But then he skipped breakfast, which – okay, was weird, but not  _super_ strange. He didn't regularly get up earlier enough for the meal anyway. But hours later, when again Riku said, "Nah, not hungry," to lunch, Sora couldn't take the suspense anymore.

"Riku, you're really worrying me," Sora finally admitted. He retrieved a sandwich from the admin lounge and returned to sit next to Riku at their plastic table. He wasn't reading this time, just playing an idle game on his phone with little attention.

His aqua eyes slowly drifted over to Sora's, nonchalant and far away at the front, but just under the surface he seemed…  _fragile_ , was the word Sora thought.

"I'll be okay tomorrow," he acquiesced, voice a low rumble like he feared saying it too loud.

Sora stared back in concern, frowning.  _Tomorrow?_ He thought. "What is it about today?" he pried, tilting his head in his genuine confusion.

Riku sighed, eyes flitting closed and eyebrows briefly colliding as if he were bracing, gathering strength for the conversation. When he looked back at Sora, his eyes were colder than he'd ever seen before. "This, I can't talk about. Not right… now," he said, clearly trying to sound final but failing.

It worked well enough, though. Sora felt it like a physical wall was between them. The brunet faltered, sitting on his hands to prevent him from clenching them. But he still remembered the promise, the deal, and didn't want to back down – not yet.

"Is it about the friend Larxene mentioned? Mikey?"

"I can't, Sora. I just can't." His reply was quick, and even a note desperate. Riku winced at the stranger's name, and Sora knew he figured it out, but he didn't feel any better. It was like his hands – he'd hide them to the grave, if he could.

"Okay," Sora said, deflating. He rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry," he concluded.

That earned him a soft rustle of his hair, and for a moment Sora thought maybe Riku was okay. But his eyes were still sad, mouth tired, and the brunet's questions on deepened. "Don't worry about it," the silveret mumbled.

Sora ate in silence and eventually concluded the day with more  _Fahrenheit 451_. It wasn't as fun without Riku's teasing that he was missing all the themes.

* * *

_Sora:_

It was about 2 AM that Sora was awoken by the sound of their room door closing. It was a soft click, but he was a light sleeper, and his eyes opened instantly like he had never been asleep in the first place. He waited to move, listening to the sound of room; it lacked the calm, consistent breathing of his friend he'd become accustomed to hearing. He turned over.

Riku was gone.

Sora didn't have to think twice; he slipped out of bed and immediately set about finding socks, his cell slipping into his pocket without even a glance to the notifications. Still in his red tank top and black basketball shorts he slept in, he slipped on his socks and shoes with haste, bolting out the door.

The hallway was eerily empty and silent. Sora frowned. He paced down to the admin lounge, peeking in – not there. In fact, he was surprised the lounge was empty. Demyx and Zexion were normally there, feeding Demyx's insatiable appetite. Then, it occurred to Sora that Riku wouldn't have gone here for that reason. He bit his lip in thought; he must've gone outside.

Once back down the hall, he tried to quietly open the back door that led outside. Unfortunately, the door was heavy; the hinges moaned at Sora's insistence that the door move.  _So much for stealth._ Bashfully, brunet spikes peaked around the door, blue eyes cautiously searching the area for Riku, or his footprints in the brown gravel. Indeed, faint tracks extended from the door but not far off; they quickly ended at a wooden patio table a few feet from the yellowed light hanging from the side of the building. Sitting at the table was his silveret friend, his hair shining white from the moonlight despite the muddy yellow light casting shadows from the table.

Even though the door was loud opening, Riku didn't move or give any indication he heard. Sora slowly approached, still trying to be quiet like he were in a solemn cathedral. Closer, he noticed why Riku wasn't startled by the door; headphone wires trailed from his hair to the headphone jack in his phone, which rested screen-down on the table. His face was tilted down, in shadow. Sora swallows hard, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

That's when he noticed glints of light falling to the wooden table, and sinking into its rugged grooves. For a moment Sora froze, air leaving his lungs like he was punched in the gut.  _He's crying_ , the brunet realized, equally heartbroken and awed.

For a moment, Sora wondered if he should leave. But memories of a cold, hard bathroom floor filled his mind, and the warmth of Riku's arms around him, patiently waiting for Sora's lost mind to come back to earth, and the thought evaporates. He realized then that Sora could help without making him talk – it wasn't their promise, exactly, but it was close enough.

He made the last strides to the table, and then softly put his hand just within view of the silveret on the table. Riku tensed, his breath hitching. A beat passed, and Riku started wiping his face without looking up. Nervously, Sora slid onto the bench next to him, not touching him but close as a show of solidarity. An invitation.

Riku took out a headphone, looking up but not at Sora. A soft, acoustic guitar tune was audible from the ear-sized stereo. Riku's deep but shaky voice started, "Sorry, I woke you up…" He rolled his shoulders as if to gather his rapidly deteriorating composure.

"Nah, don't worry about it, I wasn't sleeping well anyway," Sora said, consolingly.

Riku didn't reply, instead opting to rub his face as if trying to resolve himself. Sora didn't ask this time; he put aside his curiosity and thought hard. An idea came to him in the form of a memory – Riku's eyes burning bright as they stared at the open road, an arm slung so  _confident_ and  _casual_ at the steering wheel.

"You, stay," Sora commanded, standing from the table quick. Riku nodded, still refusing to look over.

He backed away with one destination in mind, remembering that Riku's jacket no longer held Larxene's car keys. He paced to Larxene's door, and his nervousness hit him as soon as he lifted his hand to knock. It's no big deal if he asks, right?

He swallowed and knocked, but she didn't come to the door. He looked side to side; the halls were empty. With a shaky breath he tested the nob, and found it unlocked. He briefly scrunched his eyes closed; was he really going to try this?

_Riku needs me_ , he thought, as he opened the door. Light poured into the room, and Sora peeked in quickly. Larxene wasn't there. He crept in further, frowning. The thought that he may have the wrong room crossed his mind, but on her kitchenette counter was a familiar half-empty bottle of vodka. And next to it? A black and gold clutch, and her keys.

He released a breath in equal relief and disbelief. His eyes swept the room again, but when nothing stirred, the silence deafening, he swiped the keyring as quickly and silently as possible. He turned and scouted the hall again; empty.

_Sorry, Larxene_. He closed the door soundlessly and jogged back outside, willing the adrenaline and the racing thoughts of  _I just_ ** _stole_** _keys, holy_ ** _shit_** , to dissipate. When he returned to Riku, he was slightly out of breath, but couldn't care because he was too preoccupied with the  _miracle_ that he wasn't caught.

Riku hadn't moved at all. Sora plopped Larxene's car keys on the table, the clinking of metal drowning out the cacophony of cicada songs around them. The familiar jingle was enough surprise to rouse Riku to finally look at Sora. His eyes redlined, expression careful and fragile and pale, but the silveret scoffed at the keys.

"I gave those back to Larxene," he said thickly. "How did you…?"

Despite his bravado, Sora blushed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He couldn't bring himself to say he  _took_  them. But the embarrassment was worth it because the ends of Riku's lips quirked into the first smile Sora had seen all  _day_. Sora instinctually smiled back. Riku released a huff of a laugh, and shook his head.

"Let's go, Riku," Sora commanded again, his voice firm but filled with warmth, "Then you can tell me, if you feel like it." He didn't know where they would go, but he didn't care.

Turquoise orbs pointed to Sora, then to the keys, then back. For a moment he looked like he was fracturing again; but instead, wordlessly, Riku grabbed the keys and rose.

This time, there was no hesitation, no fear, when Sora climbed into the passenger seat. The click of his seatbelt was met with Riku's phone falling into his lap.

Starting the car, Riku requested, "Keep it on that playlist."

Sora obliged wordlessly. "Sol Solis" by  _Moving Mountains_  filled the car as they turned out of camp, and Riku nodded, a broken smile releasing a shaky sigh. Sora watched wordlessly even as Riku clenched his hands around the steering wheel.

The night sky twinkled down at them as they barrel through the darkness. The engine's effort and sound of air rushing past was enough to attest their speed. The brunet felt a little exhilarated, like he did that first night, but the knots in his stomach kept him grounded. As his nerves unwound he began humming along to the song, because it was another he knew. Riku sent him an inscrutable, soft, grateful smile that Sora didn't really understand.

Riku took a couple turns, blazing past fields of corn, rice, grain, and cow pastures. They were blurs to the brunet. As another song ended and another Sora recognized began, he wondered how far Riku intended to go. As if reading his mind, Riku suddenly slowed and turned into a field with an open gate. Gravel crunched under the wheels briefly, and then the noise of road was lost to the low hum of engine as they drove through grass.

They reached the middle of the wide expanse of overgrown turf when the silveret finally put the car in park and shut it off. Sora wasn't left in the silence long. Riku guided, voice a little stronger, "C'mon, don't want to drain more gas or the battery."

The slam of the car door jarred Sora into motion, unbuckling and bounding out of the vehicle, too, following Riku under the blanket of stars.

* * *

_Riku:_

The hood of the car was too hot to lay on, so Riku settled for laying back on a patch of short grass that had enough room for the two of them. Sora joined him, hands on his tummy as they looked up at the stars. Riku was grateful; he felt like one  _look_ from Sora could shatter him when he was already so fractured.

Only crickets and the intermittent clicks of the car cooling could be heard in this summer night. The silence was strange. Sora was always making noise, whether he's mashing buttons, or sipping soda, or snoring, or chatting. After two years of nothing but radio static, Sora's laughter was painfully wonderful; a reminder of the emptiness that was once filled with raven-hair and hazel eyes.

_God,_ there was a time when Riku could vividly imagine his face, right down to the curve of his nose, without any assistance. But neither of them were picture-takers. The only ones he had were school ID photographs, and yearbook shots – for high school, Mikey only had two years of appearances. Now, the details were blurry. He'd never know a seventeen year old Mikey, or eighteen, or nineteen…

And he was crying again. They were silent streams down the side of his face, but he had no will to wipe them away.

The hand that laid on his side was greeted with a soft covering of warmth. Riku tensed when he realized it was Sora's hand, the brunet's gentle voice sympathizing, "Sorry I can't help more…"

The silveret closed his eyes, bracing for the tidal wave of just  _emotion_ to wash over. Why must Sora take him apart so  _delicately_? Sora was the dawn; incandescent rays of warmth, and Riku was every star over-powered by that light. And Mikey – Mikey was the moon. The symbol of night and yet the only light in it.

"You… have done plenty," Riku finally said, though it was an understatement. Sora's giggling, tipsy form resurfaced to his mind, their interlocked pinkies like a flash against his skin. It was so  _good_ and  _childish_  and everything Riku  _wasn't_ but fuck – it was the only thing he was holding onto.

"Earlier… you asked about Mikey," Riku began, still wincing at the use of his name. Just that made his heart thump painfully in his chest, and his skin break into a slight sweat.

"Yeah…" Sora said hesitantly, squeezing Riku's hand encouragingly. The silveret wasn't sure if it made him feel better or worse. He felt Sora's head shift in the grass, and he  _prayed_ he wasn't looking at him.

His stomach was in knots that he was about to say it out loud.

"He– he died. Two years ago. T-today," Riku barely choked out. He felt like the sky above him was just a stained-glass window that had shattered into a rain of daggers, directly into him. He swallowed thickly, closing his eyes as he focused on  _only_ breathing. It was the only thing he was capable of doing.

Sora whirled onto his side, and Riku knew what Sora would look like if he opened his eyes. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, that's – that's awful!" Sora exclaimed, every syllable sincere and dripping with shock. Riku didn't know what he expected, but he relaxed a minuscule amount from his sympathy.

"I know it was fucking forever ago, but I couldn't– I can't –"

"Let him go?" Sora completed the thought, voice soft.

Riku nodded. He felt like words were just spilling out of his mouth like water now, even though it hurt so much, but it was – somehow, impossibly – better than the  _void_ of the past  _two years_.

"There was nothing," Riku reiterated, "He left  _nothing_. I didn't get to say goodbye, or –" His voice caught, and he exhaled, "or that I'm sorry."

Riku opened his eyes because he couldn't stand the darkness anymore, and wanted something, anything, to distract him from the way his chest felt like buckling. Sora's expression was a strange twisting of devastation and anxiety, eyes swimming and searching.

"Say… sorry?" he asked, confused and hesitant.

"It's my fault."

"What is…?"

"That he died."

Sora paused, but Riku couldn't break his gaze from the stars. "… I don't get it," the brunet admitted.

Riku knew he'd have to just  _say_ it. "He shot himself," his voice was warped and hard, barely grinding through his teeth, "And I wasn't there to stop him. I should've been. I wasn't. It's my fault."

He took his hand from Sora's and rested his arm over his eyes, hiding the tears that were renewed. They were silent. All Riku could think about was the moment he got that phone call, from Mikey's mom, which she never called so he knew something was up – the way she sobbed into the phone and couldn't actually choke out even a full sentence, and the way he dropped the phone, cracked the screen. The one and only time he could remember his own mom holding him before the shock wore off and he tried to  _leave_ but where could he go?

It was senseless but he kept explaining, like he wanted Sora to  _understand_ the guilt and the shame that Riku owned. He'd spent countless hours thinking about it. "We – we got into a fight and didn't talk for a week. That's when he did it. He needed me, but I was too absorbed into my own fucking self that–"

Finally Sora spoke. "Riku, that does  _not_ make it your fault!"

"Like hell it doesn't!" Riku argued back, removing his arm to prop himself on it, looking to Sora in agitation. "He needed me and I wasn't there for him. It was my one fucking job."

Sora frowned at him, tears streaming down his face too. Riku jerked his head away. He didn't want to yell at him. It wasn't right.

"I didn't know him… but I doubt he blamed you, even if you were fighting," Sora said, voice sure and consoling.

"I know," the silveret whispered back. In fact, Mikey would likely be furious at him for everything that happened after – his grades plummeting to the floor, spending every waking hour he could at the bar – but what did he expect? Mikey knew him best, and  _had_ to know it was the only way Riku knew to  _cope_ , to mollify even an  _iota_ of the remorse that plagued every second of his existence.

"Did he… mention it at all? Before?"

Riku shook his head.  _There was nothing_.

"Riku, he knew if he told you, you'd talk him out of it. He probably didn't want to hurt you. Like how you do with me," Sora said, wincing as if he said too much.

That hurt. Riku sighed, because he was  _right_. Like he always was.

"But it's not his fault either," Riku replied, defensively. He said it even though it was understood by the both of them.

Sora nodded, looking down and to the side, "You're right. But like, even if you made a mistake… how many times do you think you saved him before then? Probably countless."

How he would've loved to agree. Knowing that, even if he failed in the end, he gave Mikey reason to keep going for a time, would be infinitely comforting. But he had no way of knowing.

"He didn't leave anything, you know," Riku said quietly, relenting, "No note, no journal, no goodbye texts… just silence." The silveret moved to sit up with his knees bent, arms and head rested on them. He realized that that silence is what he embraced, sewing his lips together with grief until now.

"He'd… want you to be happy, Riku," Sora finally said, face soft in the moonlight and tear streaks, "He was your friend. I think… he would want to stay your friend not… this."

Riku didn't respond, keeping his head down. Mourning became his way of life – it was hard to think there was another way.

"Wi-will you tell me about him?" the brunet asked, sitting cross-legged next to him.

Riku looked up listlessly. So many memories bubbled to the surface, some too complicated to explain, some so simple they were probably just lame. Nonetheless they made him a little happy thinking about them; bittersweet.

"He took me to my first concert," Riku started, a small smile taking his lips on remembering, "It was  _Escape the Fate_ and  _blessthefall_ with another band, I forgot. Mikey was so psyched about it. He went to every band's table to get merch and signatures. He got me to take a picture with one of the bands. Oh, and he made me to join the Wall of Death when ETF played."

"Wall of Death?" Sora quirked an eyebrow, smiling slightly.

Riku chuckled. "It's when the crowd splits in two, and they rush at each other."

"That sounds terrible!" Sora said, laughing at little at the thought.

"Eh, I mean, it basically turns into a mosh pit when the sides collide – I think that's the point."

"Did you and Mikey mosh?" Sora asked, seemingly fascinated.

Riku caught himself smiling back at the brunet, enjoying the memory and passing it on. This was… nice. It was almost like Mikey got to live on, in a way.

"Nah," Riku shook his head, "his mom told us if we got hurt we'd never get to go again."

Sora tsk-ed, "Damn, well there goes that."

"Exactly," Riku chuckled.

"What else?" Sora asked again, genuine curiosity on his face. His ocean eyes were bright and sparkling, despite it all. Riku felt like a weight was being lifted – he contemplated the next thing to recount, settling on a humbler memory.

He laughed just thinking about it. "Hah, one time he called me at like, 1 am demanding to come over. I told him he'd be crazy to sneak out so late but he was like 'watch me', so thirty minutes later he was at my apartment. My mom was having a party, but she was fine with him over. He begged me to make him a piña colada so I made him a virgin one and we watched a movie,  _Tron,_ I think."

"Was he always like that, spontaneous?" Sora tilted his head, listening.

"Oh, yeah. He was hard to keep up with. You know how every year the school gives out those planners that no one uses?"

Sora nodded, smiling bashfully. "I use them…" he muttered.

Riku laughed, "I did, too. So like, Mikey stole mine and put notes over my homework. It was so obnoxious though, they'd just be my name with a smiley face, or like the  _Nirvana_ smiley face." He shook his head –  _god_ , he  _missed_ him.

"Of course, he liked  _Nirvana_ ," Sora said, rolling his eyes playfully. "So, the emo thing wasn't a result, it was totally inevitable."

Riku lifted his arm to lightly punch Sora's shoulder, smiling. Only Sora would openly mock the God of Grunge. The brunet dodged easily, laughing at his victory.

The silveret sighed, rubbing his face. He felt… raw, but light. "God, I must look like shit," Riku said, ruefully.

Sora surprised him by drawing a packet of tissues from his basketball short's pocket. "I had a sinus infection for two years," Sora explained, "so now I carry an arsenal of these at all times."

"Well, damn," Riku muttered, wiping his face and blowing his nose. He gazed up when he was done, deciding now he just felt gross. The sky was still dark, stars still dancing to their endless tune. "Thanks," he said softly to Sora, for way more than just tissues.

"Don't worry about it," Sora said, his voice full of light.

They sat shoulder to shoulder, Riku allowing himself to enjoy the warmth of the brunet's touch and the new lightness in his chest. He didn't know where people went when they died, but Riku wondered what Mikey would think of him now.

"Hey, Riku," Sora's voice drew him from his thoughts, "D'you think that–"

He turned his head to look at the brunet at his side lazily, but immediately stiffened – Sora's blue eyes bore into his, closer than they've ever been. The entire ocean stormed and calmed and lapped playfully in those orbs. But worse, the rest of his face was  _entirely too close_ , and he realized in shock their lips were touching. Time stood completely still. His heart instantly accelerated its beat like a hummingbird's wings. The soft, sweet sensation of the kiss sent a shiver straight down his spine, warming him from his pounding heart and out to his fingertips. Almost out of instinct, Riku kissed back, but not hard, seriously considering if the whole night was a dream sent by fate to taunt him.

Sora's eyes widened instantly in realization, cheeks blooming in their normal rose petal pink. Maybe a fraction of a second passed, one that felt like an eternity to Riku. The brunet pulled away swiftly, covering his mouth with a hand. His voice brought the silveret back to reality, "Oh, my god, Riku – I'm sorry – I didn't mean to do that!" The blush on Sora's face outstretched to his entire face, now solid red.

Riku turned his face away, his ears hot. He wasn't sure what to say. "N-no problem," Riku replied awkwardly, his thoughts swimming incomprehensibly. "Just – an accident."

His lips tingled. His heart wouldn't calm. But he kind of wanted to melt into the grass, never to materialize again.

He dared a glance at Sora, who was still beet red and sputtering to himself. He was completely embarrassed; Riku wouldn't be surprised if his spikes of hair started steaming. It was torturously adorable and yet – the emotional whiplash was – a lot.  _This_  they would pretend didn't happen.

"L-let's go back," Riku said, a wise, but last resort.

"Y-yeah, it's late," Sora replied, an unsure squeak. "And – uhm, I have to give Larxene her keys back." That earned him an awkward laugh.

As they clambered into the car, awkwardly avoiding eye contact, Riku buckled in and broke the silence. He plopped his phone into Sora's lap like an olive branch.

"The playlist was his," the silveret explained, Sora's humming from before a sweet tune in his mind. Mikey would have liked Sora. "But, uh, you can pick this time." Riku started the car before the flustered teen beside him could protest.

The jury of stars above, the only witnesses from beginning to end, continued twinkling above them. If Riku didn't know any better, he'd say they were laughing at their expense. Riku scowled. Mikey probably would, too.


	13. Awkward

**~ Chapter 13: Awkward ~**

* * *

_Sora:_

Sora's phone buzzed, the sound echoing through the empty dresser, but he failed to hear it. He continued to mindlessly unpack his suitcase that he haphazardly put together only an hour or so before. Eyes more interested in the forest view outside his window or the empty corner of his bed, Sora was so spaced out he hardly watched his own hands make a stack of clothes to shove into the dresser drawer.

The cabin was lonely and quiet, especially since Riku left to similarly settle into his room across the hall. Zexion very pointedly told them they were given separate rooms for camp the second round. Riku rolled his eyes like he predicted it, but Sora didn't really understand why. He just hoped that Roxas, at least, would be in his room, then. He was disappointed to see the death of his and Riku's all-nighters, but he didn't argue, finding it harder and harder to breathe normally whenever he was within five feet of Riku – which was a  _lot_ when they slept in the same goddamn  _bed_.

Sora's fingers brushed a familiar, but thicker fabric, and finally looked down to see his hand's work. He pulled a black jacket from his suitcase, and realized with a little mortification that it didn't belong to him. Riku's wallet tumbled from the pocket and onto the pile of tangled clothes, and Sora hesitated. He remembered something from when they cleaned the cabins and flipped the leather open. Unsurprisingly, in the clear sleeve was Riku's fake driver's license, and – he lifted it slightly – the real one behind it. They had the same picture.

The brunet dug deep into a pocket of a particular pair of basketball shorts, and pulled another I.D., also fake, out. He thought Riku lost it, and had intended to give it back to him, but forgot when they were cleaning. Now, he supposed, Riku must not need it.

Comparing the pictures, they weren't  _entirely_  different. The main difference was the hair length; it hung about mid-neck in the one Sora found. In his current photo, his hair was back in the usual ponytail, a little frizzy, eyes dark. But in both was the same strikingly straight nose, strong, lean jaw, clear pale skin, pink lips–

Sora's ears flared hot, along with his cheeks, remembering … _that_. Just the fleeting  _mention_ of it in his mind was enough to make him tap his head against the wooden railing of the bunks, inwardly berating and cringing at  _himself._

He  _kissed_ Riku. It was an accident, but his first, and the  _worst time ever conceived._ They had been  _crying_ all night, and Sora somehow managed to do  _that_. He bumped his head a little harder, the self-hate a tangible thing. The worst part was that Riku was fully convinced it was simply a result of poorly placed faces, and was  _fine_ leaving it like that. Sora was having a much harder time convincing himself.

Sora stopped to slip Riku's unwanted ID back into his own suitcase and closed the wallet, fervently ignoring the fire on his lips. It went back into the jacket, which he put to the side of his clothes pile; he'd give it back sooner rather than later. Just looking at it made his tummy erupt in a fluttering that bordered on nausea. It was frightening. Was this normal? It wasn't like Sora had any previous kisses to compare to.

He wondered if Roxas, Namine, or Kairi would have advice.

The phone buzzed again; a reminder of the text that was left unread. The brunet groaned, finally opting to look this time. He took an armful of clothes with him to the dresser, putting them away before grabbing the device. Axel sent him a message. It said: " _Got a surprise for you."_

Sora frowned. Well, what on earth did that mean? Axel didn't send anything after. He replied: " _Wut?"_ with a surprised-face emoji.

A knock at the door diverted his thoughts. There stood someone new, blue eyes matching his own but with black hair, short with side-swept bangs.

Obviously nervous, the stranger stuttered, "Uh, is this 7-B?" His voice was smooth, and a little high, but pleasant.

Sora smiled at him, "Yep."

He stepped in, one hand in the pocket of his black hoodie, still looking a little lost. Supplementing, Sora added, "Oh, I'm the only one here yet. You can take any bed but that one." He pointed at the lower bunk with his suitcase and sheets on the mattress.

"Oh, sweet," he said, eyes alight, "Top bunks are totally the best." Sora laughed, nodding.

The brunet turned, deciding that names should be exchanged. "Hi, I'm Sora," he said, hand outstretched. He was grateful his shaking was barely perceptible.

"Xion," he replied, shaking the hand outstretched, clearly relieved. He climbed up to his newly acquired bunk, presumably to start unpacking.

Sora opened his mouth to make small talk, to get to know his new bunkmate, but another person appeared in the room, familiarly loud and proud.

"Surprise!" Axel cheered, dramatically blocking the whole door as he leaned against the frame. Sora blinked several times. Then it clicked and he gasped.

"Oh, my god! Axel! You're back, too? You convinced your folks?!" He rushed to his redheaded friend. He still towered over Sora, leaning back casually with his trademark grin – a permanent sign for trouble.

Axel ruffled Sora's hair. "Fuck yeah, I am! Missed me?"

The brunet giggled, obliging to stroke his ego, "You know I did! Have you told Roxas?"

His green eyes lit in mischief. He brought a finger to his lips, winking, "Now, where's the fun in that?"

Xion looked on in silent curiosity, so Sora pivoted to introduce them. "Axel, Xion, Xion, Axel," he said, grinning wide.

Laughing, Axel said, "I apologize in advance."

"For what?" he tilted his head.

This only caused Axel's smirk to grow. "Oh, you'll figure it out, since you're stuck with us."

Sora raised his hands in a shrug, chuckling nervously to Xion to show he didn't understand either. Then, Axel took the top bunk across from Xion. Delighted, Sora asked him, "You got this room, too?"

"Somehow," the redhead stated, shrugging with a grin. He didn't bother unpacking his bag; there wasn't enough in it to warrant the effort. Laying back, Axel checked his ancient phone.

Sora couldn't believe his luck; Axel, Roxas, and Namine were all back!

Riku appeared in the doorway where Axel was before. In his excitement, Sora gave him an unbridled, unembarrassed smile. "Axel's back," he told the silveret. Riku nodded, matching the grin.

"I have news, too," the silveret said, "One, Roxas is in my room, and two, the opening assembly is in thirty minutes."

Sora was briefly disappointed; so Roxas wasn't roomed with him this time. At least he could keep Riku company… He bit his lip; that didn't assuage the twang of discomfort that settled in his chest.

Sora shook his head. Where was all this coming from?

Axel suddenly sat up, gaping at Riku, who stared back blankly. Sora let himself be distracted, watching. "Dude, what  _happened_  to you?" the redhead asked.

Riku crossed his arms, mouth in a half-frown, bracing for whatever ludicrous thing Axel was about to say. "What do you mean?" he indulged, now leaning against the door frame.

"You  _smiled_ a second ago. I didn't know you could do that," Axel said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Riku looked a little offended, lightly glaring, but Sora couldn't help himself; he laughed.

"I smiled, you just didn't notice," Riku argued, rolling his eyes. Then he looked back mischievously, "You were too busy looking at someone else."

Axel's eyes narrowed as they stared off at each other for a couple beats. Sora, who stopped laughing, gave a nervous glance to Xion who mouthed back, " _what?_ " Sora shrugged and gulped, just as lost.

The redhead replied slowly, "You are totally right." Then he smirked knowingly at Riku, who chuckled.

Sora blinked rapidly.  _Are they friends now…?_ Whatever double-conversation they just had completely passed over the brunet's head.

Sora sent a questioning glance to Riku, who shrugged. The knowing smile on his face remained. The brunet sent a glare that clearly communicated that Riku  _would be telling him_  later. Riku nodded as Roxas appeared in the doorway next to him, arms already crossed and his expression sour.

"So, were you just going to wait to tell me you're back, too, Axel?" the blond accused, glaring. The redhead's face brightened and he climbed down the bunk, going in for a hug.

"Roxy! Surprise~"

Riku slyly vacated the crowded space at the door, circling around Axel to stand by Sora. The brunet giggled as Roxas literally held Axel away at arm's length to prevent the impending hug.

"Axel, seriously, stop, you're going to inspire my sister," the blond said with a blush, struggling to maintain his glare and frown.

"And what's wrong with that?" the redhead pouted, jutting out his lips.

Roxas's face flat-lined and he unceremoniously left the room, almost causing Axel to fall over. Regardless, the redhead followed his missed blond friend. They could hear the bickering as it traveled across the hall to his room.

Sora and Riku simultaneously shook their heads. Despite being apart for two weeks, they hadn't changed at all. Sora realized he had missed the commotion. The brunet turned to Xion again, trying to keep him included. "Th-that was Roxas. And this is Riku," he introduced.

"How do you guys all know each other?" he asked, amazed. He clambered down from his bunk, now standing with the remaining two in the room.

Sora rubbed the back of his head, "We all were here earlier in the summer." Riku did a double glance at the new raven-haired companion, but then waved casually.

Xion nodded, both at Sora's explanation and to Riku's wave. The silveret added sympathetically, "You'll meet Namine at the opening thing; she's the last one you have to know, promise."

"We should probably go, then," Sora replied worriedly; he didn't want to be late to the assembly. Then he remembered that he still had Riku's jacket. "Oh, Riku!" he exclaimed, snatching the zip-up hoodie from his bed.

The silveret's eyebrows raised when Sora presented the garment. Inexplicably, Sora blushed, like he was  _caught_. But it wasn't like he took it on purpose! The brunet explained, "I-it must have somehow gotten into my suitcase, I dunno."

Riku shrugged with a grateful smile, taking it back. He slipped it on. "Huh, didn't notice. Thanks," he said.

Xion glanced between the two with a strange expression, an observant, questioning smile on his face. But he said nothing about it, adding, "'Ey, we're twinning." He pointed at their almost identical black jackets, "Let's go."

Sora and Riku nodded, the brunet inexplicably self-conscious. As if on cue, Roxas popped his head back in the room: "Coming, guys?"

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku didn't bother to pay attention to whatever Xemnas, Dr. Vexen, Larxene, Demyx, and Zexion were saying during the assembly; after all, it was just a repeat of the first one from a over month ago. Not that he listened then, either.

He was too distracted by the fidgeting brunet sitting next to him. It was cute, in its own way; impulsive glances to his phone, the twiddling of thumbs, eyes zooming all over the cafeteria, then to Riku, then blushing again and looking away. But… he wished it were under  _better_ circumstances. Riku gave his best effort to impress upon Sora that it was  _okay_ and they were  _okay_ and everything will be  _okay_. Waiting for the awkwardness to pass was harder than he thought.

Riku sighed, counting the number of squares on the ceiling that had pencil holes in them. It was occupying enough.

He resisted the urge to touch his lips for what must be the billionth time. He still felt the soft pressure of Sora's touch there. He should feel… rejected, disappointed, but he… didn't. He still felt lighter than he had in years, which outweighed everything else. Now he just had to convince Sora of the fact.

Exactly twenty-three tiles had holes in them. Riku was out of ideas again, and the boredom resumed. His eyes fell, catching sight of his ever-so-slightly pink-tinted hair resting limply over his shoulder. He frowned at it, an idea taking root in his mind.

"Hey," Riku whispered to the now-dozing brunet, elbowing him softly.

Sora jolted, blinking rapidly. Riku tried to convince his brain that he didn't need that clip of him stored away in long-term memory – a lost cause. The brunet looked to Riku in surprise, asking in a whisper, "What's up?"

"Wanna cut my hair?" he said, feigning indifference. He rolled a lock of pink-tinted with his fingers, to make the point.

Sora's eyes widened. "Like, after the assembly?" the brunet asked incredulously.

Riku nodded in reply – and he did  _not_ feel nervous, at all. Of course, Sora considered it earnestly, eyes drifting to the side in thought. The silveret waited anxiously; it was spur of the moment, but it felt right.

The brunet bit his lip as if he had more to say – but the assembly didn't lend itself to extensive conversation. Instead, Sora sent Riku a determined thumbs-up and a wide, easy grin. Riku exhaled, relieved; maybe things were awkward right now, but at least, even after everything, Sora could still smile at him.

* * *

_Riku:_

_How nostalgic,_ Riku thought, sitting on another stolen chair inside a boy's shower stall. He noticed that the tile surrounding the drain was still tinted with pink, orange, and a little purple – the effect of the color-stripper from what seemed like an eternity ago. But his pink tipped hair was evidence it wasn't that long ago after all. And then before that, Riku remembered what started all this – Xehanort, Isa, and Braig.

But one thing remained unanswered – why did they keep returning to this bathroom? Riku chuckled as he watched Sora fret over his mom's kit, trying to decide between two pairs of scissors that had different edges. He held a pair in each hand, lifting one and then the other, making small "hmm" noises. Despite his nervousness around Riku, he was still himself.

"Are you sure about this?" Sora asked for what must be the fifth time.

Riku crossed his arms, scowling, "Of course. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't think you could do it."

"It's not that…" Sora said, flustered at the compliment, "Isn't your hair kind of important to you?"

Riku shrugged, confessing, "I haven't cut it since Mikey… yeah. I think it's time for a change."

Sora met his stare with a foreign expression until he broke into a soft smile. "You're like, really talking now. It's nice."

"It's your fault," the silveret muttered, hiding behind his soon-to-be cut hair. The ice atmosphere between them melted, heralded in with Sora's giggles.

Sora towered over him from behind the chair, teasing in a singsong tone, "Not so mysterious now!" His warmth against Riku's back made him tense, but it dissipated as Sora circled to the side, inspecting his hair.

The silveret's scowl returned, recovering, "You don't know  _everything_ , don't get cocky."

After a brief moment of silence, Sora was suddenly in front of him, bent down to Riku's face. "Oh, more secrets? Like what?"

Riku's aqua eyes widened in surprise. Sora was  _so_ close. He caught himself staring at Sora's lips for a split second before looking back up.  _Ugh_ , he had to stop doing that. Brain short-circuiting, Riku scrambled to come up with a reply.

"I-it's not a secret if I tell you, dork."  _What am I, five?_  Riku thought desperately,  _A flirty five-year-old._  If he could get away with it, he'd face-palm at himself.

The brunet's cheeks bloomed into a blush as he finally realized his closeness. In a quick movement, he was standing again, covering his slip-up with a flustered pout. "Y-you should tell me, before I resort to using my secret weapon."

Riku leaned back, smirk knowing and amused. Sora didn't even  _know_ that he was flirting. "Oh?" he taunted the brunet, defaulting to arrogance, "What could you possibly do?"

"I'll just get you drunk again," Sora grinned back mischievously.

Riku's smirk softened. Where was Sora's hesitance? Fear? His chest felt warm; maybe he had helped the brunet after all.

"That would require me making drinks," Riku countered, "And after this, I doubt I'll be able to get the  _supplies_."

Sora crossed his arms contemplatively with a huff, the chosen scissors resting on his elbow as he gripped them. It was strangely appealing, the way the scissors tapped his arm in thought. "Th-that short, huh? What about Larx, and your fake?"

Riku replied with defiance in his eyes, "Just imagine the look on her  _face_."

He knew she'd make him another, if she really cared to. It didn't matter. This was for him.

Sora laughed excitedly, "Wow, so I'm going to have to sleep with one eye open, huh?"

"Ah, you know I wouldn't let her fuck with you," the silveret said. Sora gave him a grateful, happy look that reached his eyes. It was disarming, and Riku looked away, ears hot. He continued, getting antsy, "I was thinking I'd leave the style up to you though."

Sora grimaced nervously at the new pressure. "O-okay," he stuttered, determination catching resolve in his voice, "Is shoulder length okay?"

Riku nodded, gesturing to Sora that he was ready. The brunet slipped his phone and a plastic card out of his pocket, biting his lip in that maddening habit of his as he looked at the two of them. Riku tried to lean to see what it was, but they slipped back into the brunet's pocket before he could see.

With a flash of scissors like a peace sign, Sora circled back to behind the silveret, quickly clipping up layers of his hair. "Got it," Sora said assuringly. Riku swallowed his apprehension.

Sora hesitated one more time before stating, "Well, here goes nothing."

* * *

_Riku:_

Some thirty minutes later, Sora released the last clip, causing the front of his hair to fall in his face, landing to rest limply just above the hem of his jeans. The brunet giggled. Riku's lips formed a tight line imagining himself with all short hair except the bangs – the sight Sora must be amused by.

"Just the bangs and then it'll be done," Sora said brightly, as if reading Riku's mind. His light composure was comforting, but the silveret was shocked no one had come looking for them yet.

The snip of the scissors resumed, and Riku watched with some shock as foot-length strands fell to the towel Sora put in his lap. With the magnitude of the incoming change staring him in the  _face_ , Riku swallowed hard.

More snips, more strands. Riku was fascinated with the idea he'd have  _bangs_. The world was bright. Then the brunet did some shaping, causing small, dust-sized silver fragments to fall from Riku's head. A shower would definitely be required after this. He wondered if he could sneak into the admin building to use  _that_  shower instead of these shared ones.

Scissors retracted as Sora's bare hand went to Riku's head. He mussed the top, highlighting the feather-like weight that replaced the unconscious heaviness that burdened him so long. Riku didn't think before shaking his head while Sora still attempted to style the locks. It was… freeing.

"Hey, Riku, sit still!" Sora chastised, scowling.

Riku obliged with a sheepish grin. "Sorry," though he didn't mean it.

Sora grinned back. "If it hadn't been dyed, we could have donated it," he commented, making the last few adjustments.

"Who would want  _silver_ hair?" Riku replied, rolling his eyes. "It adds like, ten years."

"Aww, c'mon, it's popular among the  _emo kids_ ," the brunet teased. Riku tried to hide his relief that they were joking again.

"True emos have black hair," Riku countered,  _tsk_ -ing to emphasize how  _obvious_ it was.

Sora giggled again. "That's goth," he said, then continued softer, "And anyway, silver is… pretty."

The brunet brushed a strand of his hair to side, fingertips brushing his forehead. Riku ignored,  _very vehemently_ , the shiver that went down his spine. He had to remind himself that Sora didn't do this on  _purpose_ , but…

God, he  _wished_  he was.

Finally, Sora pulled away, peering excitedly at his work. Riku hoped he didn't look outwardly nervous. "Wow, you look so much younger," he exclaimed with awe, beaming. He leaned in close to his face again, and the silveret looked away in self-preservation.

Riku felt his cheeks burning slightly, unnerved that there was no hair for him to hide behind. "Like, 5-year-old younger or 17-year-old younger?"

Sora laughed again, "Mm… 16." The silveret groaned in dread and protest. "C'mon," Sora continued, whipping out a mirror from his back pocket, "See for yourself."

Riku took the mirror and obeyed carefully, peering at himself apprehensively on the reflective surface. Even several blinks was not enough to register the image. He hardly recognized himself.

The shape of the cut highlighted his jawline nicely, but he did look younger. In fact, it was similar to the style he had as a child; choppy layers starting at the ear that went down to the longest layer, shoulder-length in the back. He shook his head a little, trying to get the hair to settle. He still enjoyed the lightness – the freedom. If Sora thought it looked okay, then it was fine.

"You like it?" Riku confirmed, brushing off silver flakes from his shirt self-consciously.

Riku caught Sora's blush and stare from the corner of his eye. Sora turned his face when their eyes met. "Yeah! I mean… do you? … I didn't have all the right scissors so…" his sentence trailed away, gripping his arm in insecurity.

Riku nodded, grinning, confidence trickling back like pouring wine. "Yeah, thanks, Sora," he told the shy brunet with all sincerity. "It looks really good. In fact –" he brought out his phone from his back pocket, "Take a pic? For my mom."

He hadn't messaged her all summer; she deserved a check-in.

Sora grinned, holding out his hand. "Sure!" Riku gave him the device and the brunet fiddled it for a few moments. Riku watched with some amusement that he had memorized the passcode.

"God, Riku," he said, scoffing disbelievingly at his phone, "You have almost no pictures." He shook his head as if critiquing him. Riku crossed his arms, lips in a defensive line.

Sora continued, "You don't even have Facebook on here. Are you from this century?"

"You're just now noticing?" Riku countered, frowning. He had no ammunition to argue back.

Sora shrugged, "I was more busy with the music before…" He walked back to behind Riku, and the silveret turned, confused.

"Err, picture?"

Sora scowled, "I'm working on it! Look at the camera." Sora's arm outstretched past Riku's face, his phone horizontal to fit both of them on the screen; a typical selfie angle.

Riku complied and tried to hide his surprise but failed. Sora held up a peace-sign with his other hand and smiled, rapidly tapping the picture button. Riku too attempted to smile, but under the pressure of the camera it was very slight. He was so caught up in Sora's cute, gleeful composure he forgot the purpose of the picture entirely.

After at least thirty clicks of the button, Sora stood again triumphantly. Riku turned, now concerned about whatever plans the brunet had for his phone. Again, more fidgeting with the device, and the silveret almost protested. Sora handed it back with flourish.

"I sent them to myself, too," Sora said, blushing lightly. "I have to show my mom my masterpiece. And Kairi, of course."

Riku found himself chuckling, taking back the device in relief.  _My masterpiece_ , Sora said.

"We can call the art museums later, but I think we should probably go before they forget we exist," Riku retorted with pride, playing the the short hair at the back of his head.

Sora snickered, agreeing. "They are gonna  _freak_!"

* * *

_Sora:_

"God, Sora, you're finally done making out? You could have just said –" Axel was cut off from his teasing, mouth dropping open in shock for now the second time that day. "What the  _fuck_?" he exclaimed.

Xion, Roxas, and Axel sat in a row at the lunch table facing them as they approached, Namine's back to them across from Axel. The redhead continued his unabashed stare at Riku, stuttering exaggeratedly like he'd seen a ghost.

Unsurprisingly, Roxas masked his surprise with a roll of his eyes. "Fuck, Riku, and here I thought you  _weren't_ a drama king like  _this_  one," he sent a pointed glance to Axel. Sora smiled sheepishly; after all, the dramatic change in length was proposed by  _him_.

Riku crossed his arms defensively. "Don't put me in the same category as  _him._ " He nodded towards Axel, the front of his hair glancing to that side. He really did look completely different.

Axel protested with a quick, "Hey!" but Roxas continued, "Looks good though. You couldn't tell it had been dyed before."

The redhead laughed, "The death of a perfect prank." Roxas smiled back at the redhead, all impish and sly.

"Watch it, Axel," Riku warned, but there was no bite in his voice. Sora couldn't help himself; he giggled. Everyone together again, joking and laughing, was so incredibly nice.

Riku met his eyes in that moment, smile modest and relaxed. The brunet grinned right back; the silveret was writing with his eyes again and it was so  _amazing_ he could still read the message. They had turned into a crystalline, blue blaze, challenging the world unwaveringly – and Sora? Sora was just happy to be in that same plane of existence. The side of Riku's lips quirked in gratuity, all awkwardness dead and gone like all those pink tinted strands of hair. Unable to contain his enthusiasm, the brunet gave him a secretive thumbs-up, a wink, and stuck his tongue out for a flash.

Then a miracle happened. Riku's eyes widened ever-so-slightly, cheeks painting in the softest pink. Sora had seen it before, but without infinite walls of silver to hide behind–

He couldn't explain  _why_ bliss suddenly settled like birds nesting in his bones, but it did.

"Oh my god, Riku, it looks  _amazing!_ " Namine suddenly cried. The two teens looked over to her, moment broken. Sora hyper-focused on breathing normally.

The blonde's smile was delighted. "C-can I draw you?"

Riku rubbed the back of his head, slow to recover, and muttered, "I mean, I guess… didn't need permission before…" It was obvious he wasn't used to having such a spotlight.

But that was enough for her. She squealed in excitement, flipping her sketchbook to a new page. She spoke to the page, voice high and loud, "You guys are totally my new OTP!"

Riku sighed, as if resigned – he was officially over the histrionics. He sat across from Xion, who continued to look on in an observing bewilderment. Sora took his spot in the middle, happy to be recovered and distracted. Just as his bottom hit the seat, the blonde excitedly turned to him. "What do you think, comic-style or anime?"

"Err…" Sora said, confused. Her eyes sparkled in fervor, her normal calm modesty momentarily forgotten.

"…Namine?" Roxas nervously interjected, face a mixture of confusion and concern. She met her twins gaze, eyes sparkling, but his expression deadpanned. "Your nose is bleeding," he sighed, his tone empty in regret.

Namine stuffed napkins up her nose, never breaking eye-contact, and defended herself, "Don't judge me, okay! I'm allowed to ship who I want–"

Roxas cut her off curtly, "I'm judging hardcore. Cut the yaoi shit." Sora watched in bewilderment; he wanted to ask what 'yaoi' was, but before he could say anymore, Axel rejoined.

"But yaoi is  _life_ , Roxy! I could sho–" This earned him a swift punch to the shoulder.

"Like hell it is!"

"Never know until you try~"

Xion turned to Sora, his face completely baffled. "W-wait, who's he? Have I met him already?" Roxas continued his fervent refutation of Axel, rendering them both out of the conversation.

Riku nodded. "Yeah, I'm Riku."

The realization dawned on the raven-haired male all at once. "It's so drastic," he said, awed. Sora relished Riku's satisfied smirk, following by a nonchalant shrug.

Xion turned to Namine, "And you ship them? They're not already–"

Namine giggled and shushed him, hand over her mouth as she hid her blush and the tissues she shoved up her nose. Roxas, unable to win against Axel's onslaught of innuendos, groaned and put his head in his hands.

Sora replied, "So, you know what that means? No one will tell me."

The brunet eagerly waited for a reply, though Roxas begged, "Sora, I  _promise_ , you don't want to know."

Xion's eyes met Sora's, then looked to Riku, who appeared annoyed at the turn of events, then to the others around the table and had another epiphany.

Chuckling, he replied, "Mm, nope, I'm not going there." The brunet could have sworn he winked toward Namine. Xion turned to Axel. "Apology accepted."

The redhead barked a laugh, "Welcome to the club, Xion."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And intro male!Xion! :D And Riku coping with his loss instead of clinging to it makes me cry, so, thanks for sticking with me through that.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comment if you like? What you think of a male Xion?
> 
> Tumblr: kaiserin-astraia


	14. Questioning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Holy  _shit_  it has been TOO LONG. (1/22/2017)
> 
> Uhm. So. I completely rewrote YAMM, so if you're here from a New Chapter email, here's a little guide and a fervent apology:
> 
> **Chapter 1**  has a new Riku intro, and  **chapters 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12**  have completely new scenes/content. I know, a lot to read so  _imreallysorryimsorryimsorryimsorry..._  But I'm really proud of what I've changed! Literally every chapter is different and rewritten, thank you NaNoWriMo! And thank you to  **AmbitiousSkychild**  who gave me AMAZING writing tips and encouraged me this whole time. If you haven't, you should read her fics!
> 
> The  **tl;dr** : Kairi = super important, Zexion and Demyx are camp counselors, Larxene = super important (more so than before).
> 
> Thank you to everyone reading and/or who has been reading since the beginning - seriously you guys are the best. On with the show!

 

**~ Chapter 14: Questioning ~**

* * *

_Sora:_

"So, what's with you and Riku?" Axel asked, emerald eyes sparkling as he peered at the brunet over the wooden bar of his bunk. Sora felt his skin break out in a nervous sweat. Xion glanced away from his phone to wait for a response, apparently curious as well; that did  _not_  help.

Flustered, he shoved his head through the shirt he was changing into for bed, wanting desperately to remain nonchalant. He learned the tactic from Riku, but wasn't good at the execution. Dishonesty stuttered past his lips, "Wh-what do you mean?"

The redhead spread his arms incredulously, exclaiming, "Uh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you look at him like you want to ask him to homecoming and shove him into a closet but are too scared?"

The brunet immediately felt his ears turning red. Did he  _really_  have to have such a graphic analogy? "Guys don't go to homecoming together – and anyway, what does that have to do with anything?" he muttered, cringing at his incorrect, weak justification. But Axel actually laughed.

"You didn't even deny it!"

Vexed, Sora defended, "I do deny it! I don't really look at him like that… do I?" For some reason, he looked to Xion, hoping for back up.

He shook his head, putting his phone down. "I'm with Axel on this one."

Sora scoffed indignantly, inwardly reeling; did he  _really_ act like that? He almost couldn't believe it. He wracked his brain for some excuse, but the redhead didn't give him the time to do so, questioning, "Clearly something happened last week. Care to fill me in? And before you say no I will definitely ask until you tell me, so just give up."

"Wow, savage," Xion chastised Axel, looking amused.

"Overbearing friend TM," he retorted. The raven-haired male snickered.

Biting his lip, Sora debated how much he should say. His instinct was to lie, but he thought about Kairi and all his lies this summer and felt the  _guilt_ settle like a wet blanket. But,  _ugh_ , this wasn't high on his lists of preferable scenarios to  _talk_ about this. He should have known Axel would catch on immediately. He was still so wrapped up in his and Riku's little micro-universe; he didn't realize others would see it from the outside.

The brunet sighed –  _let's just get this over with_. "I-I may have…  _accidentally_ … kissed him?" Sora winced defensively every word, feeling his face blush deeper every syllable. Sparing himself seeing Axel or Xion's reaction, he put his face in his hands.

A few seconds of silence passed, broken finally by Axel choking back laughter. Blue eyes peeked through his hands, glaring at his redheaded friend. "Axel! Don't laugh! What the hell, this is serious!"

Inexplicably, this seemed to break the redhead's resolve and he laughed wholeheartedly, head resting on the bunk bar. "No, no I'm not laughing at you…" he laughed more, a deep, loud sigh at the end, "I'm just jealous is all." He chuckled, and Sora was completely baffled.

"Jealous of what? Wait –" the brunet felt a moment of horror, "Do  _you_ like Riku?"

Axel looked up, eyebrows scrunched up and smiling strangely as if Sora's guess left a bad taste in his mouth. "What? No, Sora, no – I like –" Sora leaned forward in excitement, but the redhead stopped midway. "Look, it doesn't matter who I like. If you don't already know, then you clearly need help with your own mess," he concluded decidedly, recovering from the turned tables effortlessly.

Sora groaned, sitting back on his bed. Why did he feel so  _relieved_? "W-well," the brunet continued, the anxiety mounting again, "What should I do?"

Xion leaned over the bunk, peering down at him. His raven hair shook in confusion. "Do? Shouldn't you know how you feel first?"

Sora's lips formed a tight line. "That sounds harder…" he muttered. "How do I know what I feel?" The second part came out a little louder, asking earnestly.

"You just… know?" Xion supplied unhelpfully. Sora shrugged exasperatedly.

Axel tsk-ed and shook his head. "Are you telling me you've never  _liked_ someone before?"

If Sora could just  _disappear_ right about now, that'd be great. Cringing every second of it, he just nodded with flaming cheeks. His hands itched for his phone – this conversation with Kairi would be infinitely less mortifying.

But surprisingly, the redhead nodded back in understanding. "Ah, see, that explains everything." His jade eyes fell to the side in contemplation. Sora had expected more teasing, more theatrics, and felt whiplashed at his serious expression.

"Why don't you just kiss him again, see how you feel then?" He finally said, a Cheshire grin stretching across his mouth.

Sora almost choked on air. "What!?"

Xion interjected, "I mean, if Riku's okay with it –"

"Yeah, Sora, remember, always get consent –"

"You guys are crazy!" Sora exclaimed over their rapidly spiraling plans for him.

"What? It's the best way to figure out how you feel, right? The first time was an accident so…"

Sora shook his head. Not only was their suggestion ridiculous, but utterly  _impossible_. There was no way he would have the courage to ask in the first place, and when would there ever be a good time? And then, Riku would know Sora was…  _questioning_. Over  _him_. What if they couldn't be friends after that?

That would ruin everything.

"No way," the brunet concluded, staring agitated at his friends. His hands, shaking, went to hide in his pockets.

The redhead sighed, grinning despite the disappointment. He shrugged, "Well, I tried."

"You're gonna regret it if you don't figure it out. You owe it to yourself," Xion told him.

The brunet shrugged helplessly. Since when did Sora deserve  _anything_? He'd gotten over so many fears here… shouldn't that be enough?

But was it?

They were silent. Sora's head was full of warring thoughts – the front of his forehead had begun to pulse painfully. The brunet was happy enough with how things were; why did they have to change?

Then Axel snapped his fingers in sudden realization. Sora sent him a glare of warning, but defensively the redhead explained, "No, no, I got it this time… You should ask Namine for help."

"Namine…?" Sora contemplated the suggestion. He supposed it was better than trying to bounce off ideas on these two. If anything, he hoped they could go on as if this conversation never happened.

"The closet-tumblr queen?" Xion asked, looking to Axel. With a wide, toothy grin, Axel nodded. "Oh, then yeah, I agree," he concluded, smiling softly.

Sora frowned; already he felt like they knew more than they were saying, but what choice did he have? And anyway, they were just trying to help. With a sigh, Sora nodded – though whatever he was agreeing to was ill-defined. "I guess I'll ask," he said. Sora turned into his bed, but Xion tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, I expect a progress report, okay?" he demanded, his kind smile matching Axel's mischief, eyes sparkling in interest. It was strangely comforting. He was the newest to the group, and yet Sora felt like he belonged. Despite their insane advice, his chest felt warm that he had two friends that cared so much.

Sora, blushing, agreed, "Fine, fine."

* * *

_Sora:_

The blonde teen pouted. "You didn't look at my blog, did you?"

Sora guiltily rubbed the back of his head, his smile a grimace. "I'm sorry," he admitted, "I was… busy?"

Sneakers against gym floor tile and the bounce of a basketball in play echoed about the gym, their other friends engaged in a game. Namine was supposedly keeping score, but her notepad didn't have any tallies. It looked like the beginnings of a comic-style sketch of their game, instead.

When Namine didn't respond, the brunet cleared his throat awkwardly, looking away. She held her pout, bottom lip jutted out exaggeratedly and her blue eyes wide. It was compelling even without looking directly at her. Sora quickly cracked under her unwavering, puppy-like gaze, swearing, "I promise I'll look this time, really!"

Her expression dissolved to one of glowing glee. "Yay!" She bounced in her seat, and then tilted her head in consideration, "And well… about figuring out your feelings… like I said, read the doujinshi." Her face got more pink with every word.

Sora tapped his forefingers together, more shy because she was. "…Do you really think it'll help?"

"Heh, p-probably? It's kind of embarrassing. But yeah," she affirmed, smile still sunny despite her anxiousness.

Sora gulped. He didn't get what would be  _embarrassing_ about it, and was a little afraid to find out. But if she thought it'd help, well – it was worth a shot.

His eyes turned back to the basketball match, still surprised that Riku had joined as a player. He and Axel joined one team with Roxas and Xion on the other. If Sora had known that Riku intended to play, he wouldn't have gone to shower so he could join, too. The brunet assumed Axel must have convinced (or forced) the silveret. Still, Sora couldn't help but smile; Riku was just full of surprises lately.

Riku and Roxas danced around each other with the basketball, amusing Sora with the bounce of short silver hair. Still stoic and quiet, Riku's bright eyes expressed his focus and enjoyment in the same way they glowed when he had a game controller in hand. The brunet caught the very moment Riku figured out how to steal the ball from the blond, his lips quirking for a brief moment before he feigned back and then whirled around. The move practically spun Roxas straight into Axel out of the confusion. The redhead easily managed to get the ball from there, with Roxas momentarily disoriented. He puffed in a blush of annoyance, and Sora laughed.

Namine took him from his thoughts, her eyes on her brother. "Hey, Sora."

"Yeah?" he turned, hoping she didn't notice him staring. But his worry was misplaced; she continued looking straight ahead, her soft mirth drained into a rare solemnity. Sora paused, watching Namine frown as she constructed what she wanted to say.

"Roxas is kind of like you. I think he knows the truth but won't accept it," she said meaningfully, carefully. Eyes deep and shining in concern, she gazed at her brother. It was so sincere Sora briefly forgot they were siblings, always teasing each other and laughing and smiling.

"What do you me–"

She grabbed the brunet's hands suddenly. "Don't do that, okay? No matter what it is, whatever conclusion you reach, accept your feelings for what they are," she pleaded.

He looked back at her in shock, like the air abandoned his lungs. She was so  _earnest_ , it added pressure to the whole thing. Stuttering, he replied, "Y-yeah, sure, Namine. Why would I not…?"

She looked to the side, then pouted again. "People don't like change." Sora didn't miss the significant glance she sent to Roxas. "I just, don't want anyone to get hurt." She retracted her hands, adjusting the drawing pad in her lap that threatened to fall to the floor.

Sora's chest felt tight, and he winced. He didn't know Roxas's crisis, but he spoke for both of them, "M-maybe he just doesn't want to lose what he already has."

"I wonder." She shook her head, but didn't say anything more. She resumed her sketching. Watching the way her eyes softly flit between her drawing pad and Roxas, Sora decided that he'd try her advice. For her sincerity, and for his and Riku's promise.

Axel scored, the basketball's bounce and his victory shouts resounding through the gym. "Sora!" he called suddenly. The brunet spun, surprised. "C'mon, join Roxas's team!"

"What? Then the teams will be unbalanced," Sora protested, nonetheless standing from his spot on the bench. He was anxious to do anything but  _think_  more.

Roxas joined, supporting Axel, "Then Nami, you play, too!"

She placed her sketchbook to the side carefully with her pencils and delicately wiped her thighs of the black-grey lines from the paper. "You're on."

"Oooh, shit, she's serious," Axel commented, laughing.

"I may be tiny," she said lightly, "but I hold great power." Sora had to hold back his giggling with a hand. She winked at Sora, and he smiled back. They must be okay. She turned to the group, striking a ferocious stance that was anything but threatening with her short stature.

Roxas critiqued, "This isn't a video game, Nami."

His sister shrugged, and Axel continued, "Well clearly, I'm too overpowered to be on Namine's team so… Sorry, Riku." The redhead sauntered over to Roxas's side, his face displaying another cat-that-caught-the-canary grin. Riku crossed his arms like he expected nothing less than the abandonment, and Xion laughed.

"That's cold!" the raven-haired teen said.

The blond crossed his arms, taking a step away from the redhead. "Like I need  _your_ help."

"Ah, I can feel my strength growing the closer I am to you…" Axel's long arms closed the distance Roxas had tried to create.

"Ugh! Axel, you're  _too! Heavy!_ "

Sora wondered how he befriended such wonderful, eccentric people. He chuckled with Xion at their antics, shaking his head. He could be slow sometimes but even he knew that the move was deliberate. The brunet looked to Riku who was clearly chastising the flamboyant redhead with just his eyes. As if sensing Sora's stare, he glanced over and when their eyes met, he cocked his head to call the two over with a sly smile.

"Somehow, this feels nostalgic," Namine said, walking over with Sora. He looked to their opposing team; a bickering Axel and Roxas next to a laughing Xion. He couldn't put his finger on it, but she was right. When he didn't respond she exclaimed, "Ah! I probably just drew something like it before. I'll have to draw our victory later."

"Oh, someone's confident," Riku responded, tsk-ing in critique of her pride.

"My brother may be a pro, but he forgets I have to sit through all those games. I know how to beat him."

Again with the dramatics. Sora laughed. "You're scaring me, Namine!"

Riku didn't say anything, but his cunning grin was enough to express his agreement with the blonde. Sora poked him in the side before he could stop himself, "Hey, not you too!"

The silveret rolled his shoulders, eyes set determinedly ahead. "Traitors must be eliminated."

"You both are on other planets," Sora chastised his teammates. But before they continued, Roxas started the game, the screech of tennis shoes loud enough to spring anyone to action.

They forgot about keeping score.

* * *

_Riku:_

Exhausted, they were heading back to the cabins when Riku spotted a flash of yellow as they exited the gym. Another glance and he realized it was Larxene, waiting for him.

"Hey, kid," she beckoned, her smile quirked as she checked out his hair. It had been years since she referred to him that way, he realized with a frown. A result of the cut? He paused. His friends, all caught up in an argumentative conversation about which team won, walked on obliviously – except for Sora. The silveret nodded his head to tell the brunet to go on ahead. He hesitated, but then provided an encouraging smile, a wave to Larxene that she returned, and rejoined their friends.

Riku casually strolled back to the lightening queen, feeling the hot summer air heighten the stickiness of his sweat from the game. Whatever she wanted, he hoped the conversation would be quick; Riku was desperate to strip off the shirt that clung to him, especially on his back. "What's up?" he asked, light and casual.

"Damn, has hell frozen over? Who are you?" she teased, crossing her arms judgmentally. Riku didn't respond, putting his hands in his pockets as if to say, " _and, your point?_ " She snorted. "Nevermind, it's still you. Anyway. Deni called."

Riku raised his eyebrows. "I thought you guys were fighting," he said. Still, his surprise was limited; he knew their fight would blow over.

"Me too," she said, her huff of a laugh a mix of relief and disbelief, "But, Deni and fuckface broke up, so I guess we're good now."

"Fucking  _finally_ ," Riku replied, crossing his arms. That was one thing to look forward to at home then, the lack of  _Sam._ But the victory was short-lived; the silveret paused, doing the math in his head, and met Larxene's gaze. "…That's not why you called me over, though – to tell me that."

The blonde nodded, sighing. He waited for her to explain patiently, curious as she seemed to struggle with the words, her frown extending further and further as she thought. Riku's chest tightened like warning bells blaring.

With a rough sigh, she finally said, "Deni can't… afford the apartment. She wasn't going to tell you till she found a place, but I – I have an idea."

Of course, he thought with horror,  _of course_  she couldn't afford the apartment. The bar wasn't doing as well when Riku was sent to camp; he had nearly forgotten in his mire of apathy at the start of this. But now, his reaction was immediate, growling in frustration, "Are you fucking  _kidding_ me? She wasn't going to tell me?" He swept a hand through his hair in agitation. He  _told_ her to call if anything went wrong.

"I know, I know, it's shitty," Larxene said sympathetically, her spring-green eyes strangely warm, "but like, hear me out for a second."

He didn't think she  _really_ understood how catastrophic this was. He didn't respond, but stared at her expectantly, eyebrows knit together. But then, there was something in the way she shifted from foot to foot, finger tapping her arm anxiously that dismantled Riku's agitation – a little. He relaxed his face, and she breathed out.

"I was thinking –" she started nervously, "you and Deni could come live with me. Just for awhile. It's near the bar, and it's big enough; me and your mom could share a room, and you could have the other–"

"Wait… What?" He couldn't hide his shock. Riku expected  _anything_ but this.

His interjection made her falter, but she pushed through it with a growling sigh. "If you don't want to, that's fine, but I know Deni would only agree if you did so… I just wanted to offer it, so you could think about it." She put her hands on her hips, eyes staring at the ground near Riku's feet, still frowning.

They lived together for awhile before, when Riku was still in elementary school. Frankly, he hardly remembered it – whether it was good, or bad, he couldn't say. But he was totally blindsided by the fact she was  _asking_ him. He thought – no, he  _expected_  – she would have simply  _told_ him that's what their plan was, and he'd just have to deal. But that's not what she did.

He did not know this Larxene.

"Uhm," he said intelligently, the pressure like a fog in his lungs, thoughts blurring through his mind like highway lights, "Wait, what about rent? And –" he never thought he'd care enough to ask, but Sora's face flashed through his mind, "and school?"

She nodded, seemingly relieved for questions about the logistics, "I got the rent, Ri, you two could just focus on the bar. With Sam gone, I think Deni can build up the business again. And school – I'm looking into it. It's a different ISP? IS…D? Than the school you had before, so–"

She was  _serious_. No rent? Looking into the fucking  _school district_ for him? He stared at her, trying to piece together a meaningful sentence but failing. He settled on, "The school – it doesn't matter where, as long as I go."

She nodded again, visibly relieved. "Okay, good." They paused, like cats cautiously peeking at each other under a door. Larxene reiterated, "Just think about it. And – you've done a lot so, let me handle Deni for now. You just–" she met his eyes, her bright, crisp gaze back to normal and her smile small, "you just keep flirting with Sora."

And the spell was broken. Riku's reaction was pure instinct; he rolled his eyes, scoffing. "You are  _not_  helping," he said, looking away as his ears turned hot.

She laughed, relaxing as her arms fell to her sides. "You still have a few more weeks. Just enjoy it, will you?" She snickered like the thought of Riku having fun was contradictory.

Before he could retort, she began walking away, waving her phone to indicate that was her medium of choice for future discussion. He sighed after her with a smile, feeling strangely lectured. He rubbed the back of his head, standing forlornly outside the empty gym.

Sora and their friends had probably noticed his absence by now. And – he thought as he turned to head back – he needed his subconscious to work on this for awhile.

* * *

_Sora:_

With a furtive glance to the left and perked ears, Sora listened for even breathing in the top bunks of his cabin. Midnight was silent and dark, but he was wide awake – another good thing about Riku demolishing Sora's sleeping schedule. He thought his redheaded friend would  _never_ fall asleep, but after a text conversation that glued a smile to his face – not that Sora was watching in rabid curiosity – he finally succumbed.

There was a reason he waited for everyone else to fall asleep. Feeling inexplicably nervous, he navigated to Namine's texts; she re-sent him the link to her blog, along with another with the message, " _this is for you. Gl! Tell me your favorite when you read?_ " It was followed by several eye-covered monkey emojis.

He swallowed hard, unsure why he felt so  _sweaty –_ his hands, his feet, his back. He sat up, kicking his blankets back, and berated himself. They were just  _pictures_ ; if Sora could survive Riku's driving, he could do this, right? And he promised Namine he would try. Who knows, maybe he'd read and realize this was all in his head and he could forget the whole thing.

He wasn't sure if he hoped or dreaded that outcome.  _Ugh, not helping, Sora!_ Before he could think his way out of it, he finally clicked Namine's tumblr URL. It would be  _fine_.

It was  **not**  fine.

" ** _Kai~ri!_** " Sora loudly hissed into his phone, "Kairi, please be awake, I'm in the middle of a  _crisis_!" He'd never hit the send button faster.

At four A.M., the camp was completely and utterly still, save the screaming cicadas and Sora's pounding heart. In his panic, he had scrambled out of his bed and out toward the bathrooms. With every nerve disposed to deal with  _this_ , Sora didn't even  _think_ about getting caught out of the cabins after lights out.

His redheaded best friend must have had her phone volume up, because she watched his video snap not even a minute later. She typed her reply, " _ur up? Wut? Whats wrong?_ "

" _Im srry I woke u up… call?_ " He had the decency to feel a little guilty, realizing his hysterics when god himself was probably sleeping.

But Kairi called immediately – or rather, FaceTimed. He answered without hesitation, and almost giggled at the half-awake teen that appeared on-screen. Blue eyes half-mast, hair in ridiculous angles, Sora was shocked she even woke up to answer his snap.

"Sora…?" she groggily asked, "Wh-what happened? What's wrong? Who do I need to kill?" She yawned despite her frantic questions, blinking rapidly in her attempts to stay awake.

He couldn't even bring himself to laugh. "I…" Sora started, releasing an exasperated sigh when he realized just  _how much_  he had to explain, "Kairi, oh god, I fucked up."

Her eyes widened, her attention perking. Sora began in a rush, "So I accidentally kissed Riku–"

"You  _what_?!"

"It was an accident! Just– just listen, okay! I kissed him, and ever since then things have been  _weird_ , and Axel told me to kiss him again which is  **insane**  so Namine told me to look at her blog, and now I'm so  _confused_ –"

"Sora, Sora, you need to baaaaack it up," Kairi begged, now awake and utterly bewildered. "Axel told you to– and Namine, she has a blog? No wait, don't answer that: you  ** _kissed_** Riku?" He expression fluctuated between concern and excitement.

"I told you, it was an accident," Sora groaned.

She settled on excitement. "What kind of kiss we talking about here?" she probed, a small, mischievous grin forming on her face. "Like, a peck or did you make out with him?"

Flashes of Namine's doujinshi flit across his mind, and he blushed crimson. "A peck, Kai! Like, not even that!"

She nodded like it was completely expected and rolled her eyes. "What did Riku do, after?"

"Err – nothing, just like, brushed it off, I guess." Sora wanted to do  _anything_ but explain  _that_. He looked to the side.

"Hmm… well what does  _that_ mean?" she muttered to herself. She tilted her head, thinking now. "Then if he's not mad, then… what's the problem?"

Sora exhaled; that was the question he'd been asking this whole time. "Axel said I looked like– like I  _liked_  Riku? And he told me I should kiss him again to be sure, but I mean, that's  _crazy_. And so then I asked Namine for advice, and she told me to read her blog."

Kairi still looked a little confused, and responded carefully, "She's the one who draws, right?"

"Yeah," Sora said, "and I looked at her blog tonight, and– Kairi, she had like,  _comics_ of us, all of us. But she also had all these mangas and pictures of boys  _kissing_  and dating and–" In the rectangular image of himself at the bottom of his phone screen, he was blushing so hard he was amazed he hadn't gotten a nosebleed yet. Regardless, he tried to hide behind his free hand. "She had one that was like,  _literally_ , me and Riku. We weren't kissing but– Ugh, Kairi, I dunno. I dunno what to do."

Her eyes bounced side to side, piecing it together. When she did, she screamed under her breath, smiling. "So you're… you're questioni–!"

"Ah, don't say it!" Sora cried.

She very poorly stifled a giggle. "Sora, it's  _fine_ , you know that right? Like, liking boys or girls – it doesn't matter."

He peeked through his fingers. "I-I mean, yeah, I guess, but like, how do I know for sure? And what about my parents?"

She pouted. "Really? Your parents are amazing, they'd just be like ' _high five dude_ '."

Sora peered back at her skeptically. He'd never brought home a girlfriend or boyfriend, and neither had Leon, to his knowledge – who  _knew_ how they'd react? This was so different than drinking secretly with Riku. But Kairi continued, eyes shining, "And anyway, no matter what, I'll still love yah." Her smile was so sweet, he instinctually smiled back. It would be a lie if he said he wasn't at least a  _little_ relieved.

"And I love you, too, Kai. Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without you." That was just about the  _only_ thing Sora was sure of.

"Probably die of misery," she teased, giggling. Then her smile turned small, plotting, "I think Axel had a good idea."

"What?" Sora said intelligently.

"Yeah! Like… if you wanna know for sure, then you need a redo! I mean, you wouldn't want to kiss Axel or Roxas, right?" She rolled her wrists and waved her fingers as she talked, like a fairy godmother.

But Sora grimaced, stomach queasy at the scenario. He felt like it would incriminate himself if he admitted to it. He just frowned at Kairi, waiting for her to say 'just kidding'. But she didn't, waiting eagerly for a response.

He buckled under her starry, hopeful gaze, and released a breath he forgot he was holding, the sigh turning into a groan towards the end. "I… I guess. But, like,  _when?_ And  _how_  could I even ask?"

"I dunno, you need to be alone, I suppose…." Briefly, Sora entertained the idea of texting Larxene, to ask for her car. But Kairi broke the train of thought, "And just tell him the truth. You're not confessing, so–"

"You and Axel are going to be the death of me," the brunet complained. They made it sound so  _simple_. "What if Riku hated me or something if I asked?" Sora had no intention of crying, but his eyes watered against his control.

"Aw, Sora," Kairi said, frowning back, eyes soft and sheltering, "C'mon, do you really think he'd be like that?"

"…No," Sora acquiesced, wiping his eyes hastily. God, if  _only_  he could get it together.

"Exactly," she said, her voice tender, but her smile turned wide again. "He's nice  _and_ he's hot – you scored for your first kiss, like,  _so_  jealous!"

"Oh, my god, Kairi," Sora blanched, looking to the sky like it could possibly save him.  _If only she knew what an idiot I was_ … He sighed. "I'm not promising anything," he said defensively, "I still think the whole idea is nuts."

But Kairi giggled despite his chastising tone; she knew she won. She leaned into the camera, eyes sparkling. "Hey, send me the link to Namine's blog? I wanna see!"

Sora blushed again – but at least they were done talking about their favorite silveret. "I'll ask if it's okay first, but sure."

"Yay!" The camera shook in her excitement. "Ugh your friends are so cool," she complained, "next time I'm going to camp with you."

"Ha, that would've been awesome." He smiled, watching as she yawned. It was contagious, and Sora remembered that it was nearly five A.M. "We should go to bed, Kai. I'm sorry I woke you up."

"I'll sleep when I'm dead!" she cried, weakly raising a fist. "But yeah, you're right. Next time you have a sexuality-crisis, text me at like… any other time."

Sora giggled, "Between the normal business hours of eight AM to midnight?"

She nodded, sticking her tongue out. The brunet continued, head tilted affectionately, "It's a deal. Go to bed. Goodnight, Kai."

"Kiss Riku goodnight for me," she teased, flopping back down onto her pillow, "ni~ght!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Now I can finally update normally. Hallelujah! I have drafts of chapters 15 - 17. So, see ya soon!
> 
> Thank you  _no seriously thank you so much_  for reading! Leave a comment if you liked?
> 
> Be my friend? Tumblr: kaiserin-astraia


	15. Lovesick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, I'm late but here's my excuse and warning: This chapter is ~9.5k words. I'm sorry I'msorry imsorryyyyy

**~ Chapter 15: Lovesick ~**

* * *

**Sora:**

The more he thought about it, the more Sora realized that Axel's entire suggestion was a  _terrible_  idea. And unfortunately for him, and everyone else, it was just about  _all_ he could think about.

They all stood in a single file line in the cafeteria for breakfast at the blasphemous hour of nine A.M. He yawned for what must be the fifth time, not even thinking to hide it as it pulled on his lungs and spine until he stretched – again. The others, too, were quiet; Xion was blatantly leaning against the metal railing, eyes drifting closed before jolting when consciousness slammed back into him again. Sora remembered the 'morning' he tried to wake Riku up and, half-asleep, the silveret's most energetic response was a mumbled: " _sleep. All day._ " Now, he understood.

And his exhaustion had  _nothing_ to do with his panic-call to Kairi from three nights ago. It had  _nothing_ to do with the hours spent staring at the ceiling, agonizing fruitlessly like his entire life led up to this, the two nights since.

Really the only thing keeping him standing was the smell of breakfast; buttered toast and microwavable sausage patties. Totally reminiscent of his school's cafeteria. It wasn't what he  _wanted_ , per se, but at least it was  _something_. It was enough to keep his mind trained on his stomach, and not Riku's back in front of him.

Not that he was mindlessly staring.

He was wearing another old band tee, faded to a dark grey with too many washes. Sora wasn't sure he'd seen it before, with only his back in view; Riku's shorter hair meant that the back of the shirt was actually  _visible_ , and it had an unfamiliar tour name crossing the top with cities listed in columns underneath. It struck Sora that Riku had to live near at least  _one_ of them to possess the shirt, and his tired, blue eyes settled on Houston–

Suddenly, Riku sighed, a low rumble as the sleep there lingered on his throat, and began to turn. Sora barely suppressed a sound of surprise as he panicked on what a normal human being who definitely wasn't staring at anyone would look like as Riku faced him.

If Riku noticed Sora's poor attempt to act natural, it didn't show on his face. "Fuck this," he said, tilting his head with a frown, "I'm getting Lucky Charms. Anyone else want any?"

Riku sent a flash of a knowing grin to the dumbfounded brunet. There was something about it that stalled the cogs in his brain.

Sora realized he was, in fact, gaping blankly a second too late, and the silveret's lips quirked briefly into a concerned frown. Naturally, the brunet over-compensated in his response, "Oh– yeah, hell yeah– Lucky Charms– wait…  _again_?" Finally the knowing grin was connected to their inside joke – albeit late – and Sora forgot he was tired.

And they were smiling again at each other, and Sora felt hot and cold at the same time, but then so  _guilty_. God, they hadn't  _talked_  and Sora felt like he was hiding and plotting and it didn't feel  _right_ –

Riku ruffled Sora's hair, apparently unfazed. "Um, of  _course_  again. In the event of the apocalypse, you know  _exactly_  where I'd go."

"A Lucky Charms… factory?" Sora managed dumbly. Riku chuckled, his voice still a distant, indistinct thunder, and nodded. It was a wonder how the silveret managed to wake up without assistance, now that Sora wasn't there to be annoyingly loud.

The laugh was somewhat comforting, and Sora flashed a grin, a retort already on his lips, "You would die of malnutrition."

Axel interjected, towering over Namine's shoulder behind Sora, "Rather a leprechaun death than nuclear fallout. I heard Lucky Charms were being offered?" His grin was less biting than most, lazy and drowsy.

"Yeah," Riku replied genially, "I'm getting some."

The redhead looked subtly impressed. "Oh, fuck yeah, count me in on  _that_."

Roxas peeked from the back of the line, staring up at Axel in curiosity. "Like them  _that_  much?"

"Yeah, they're my fave," he replied, gazing back down at the blond with a simple honesty. Roxas froze, staring back like the elementary conversation somehow did not compute with him – but Sora  _got_  it: No tease? No " _well, second fave, to you_ " joke? (And now Sora  _really_ knew he spent way too much time reading Nami's comics–)

Even more peculiarly, Roxas kept Axel's gaze, forgetting his tell-tale hysterics and blushes, and replied, "Then, I want some, too."

Sora could have  _sworn_ Axel blushed.

"Me five!" Xion cheered immediately after, and Namine raised a shy hand, wiggling her fingers.

Apparently Sora was the only one fascinated with Axel and Roxas, because Riku gave a small nod to each person, counting nonchalantly, and said, "Cool, be right back then."

"Riku, our hero," Namine teased sweetly, to which the silveret retorted with a roll of his eyes. Sora's smile was ever so sly.

The silveret walked away casually toward the back where he and Sora knew the large pantry laid behind. Sora's eyes followed him unconsciously. Zexion was standing by the doors, arms crossed with his face flat and bored, but didn't even bother to look up at Riku as he went through. That earned a giggle.

"He just… walked in," Xion commented in amazement.

"Yeah, he… has that effect," the brunet replied without really thinking; he was still staring at the doors like they held some treasure behind.

"So  _that's_ where they keep the good stuff," the redhead, seemingly recovered, added, plot heavy in his voice. "Why didn't you tell us sooner, Sor~a?"

They were still in line, but for what Sora wasn't sure. Axel's question never really registered in his mind, and it took Namine's call to break him out of his reverie, "Gonna get milk, Sora?"

"Oh, uhm," Sora jolted; in front of him inside chilled plastic bins were mini-milk cartons, and he had no recollection of moving forward. "Y-yeah!" He lifted two cartons; pink and white, for strawberry and regular.

"Two?" Roxas inquired.

"Yeah!" Sora instantaneously replied, lifting the pink then the white milk cartons, "One for me, one for Riku."

The blond rolled his eyes, but there was no irritation in it, "Oh lord, get a room already."

Before Sora could sputter nonsense defensively, cheeks flaming, Axel added flirtatiously, "That  _would_ leave one room vacant." He wiggled his eyebrows.

The blond's focus was already taken – and Sora relaxed.

"Oh,  _really_? And what  _exactly_  do you suggest we do with that?" Roxas countered, his grin utterly devilish and icy eyes sparkling. Sora grabbed an apple from the food line and continued forward as he watched the two, giggling at them.

Roxas kept an expectant smirk at the redhead. Axel's laugh was decidedly nervous, eyebrows quirked just like his smile. He glanced to ceiling in a plea of help, rubbing the back of his head: "Well, fuck, I didn't think I'd get this far so–"

Xion interjected, directing his look to Namine: "Please, save me."

She giggled. "The girl's cabins aren't much better."

"That, honestly, sounds like a party."

Namine shook her head, but she was smiling. Finally they headed to their table, Sora casually munching on the apple he got.

He was trying to add it all up. His finger tapped his phone screen in his pocket, again agonizing; how many texts had he typed out, hated, and backspaced? How many did he stare at, only to chicken out last minute? He trusted Kairi; hell, he even trusted Axel. Yet there was something so  _off_ about their idea, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Xion waved a hand in his face. "He's spaced out again," the raven-haired said. When Sora blinked rapidly, Xion tilted his head, "Not sleeping or something? You seem so… not Sora."

"It can't be that," Roxas added, "Last time we tried to keep Sora up, he passed out at like, midnight."

Namine and Axel laughed in remembrance. Sora was aware enough now to interject, "Hey!"

The redhead continued, "It took him an  _hour_ to realize we drew on his face."

"You mean,  _you_ drew on his face," Roxas clarified, sending Sora a wide, mischievous grin. He didn't get what it was  _for_ , but Axel sent the same smile. The brunet settled on an exasperated shrug and a scoff, spinning his apple in his hand.

"You should keep your pranks to sharpies, Axel," Riku critiqued, approaching from behind them. His arms were ridiculously full of prepackaged plastic bowls of Lucky Charms; he was a man of his word.

The redhead snickered, eyes lighting up at the food. "I sense this critique echoes from experience, yeah?"

Riku's glare was there, but very light. Axel continued, still laughing, "Yikes, 'kay, nevermind."

The silveret tossed him a charms bowl, quoting, "'If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear'."

"Fear is a  _strong_  word–"

Sora interjected, " _Frankenstein,_ again? I've created a monster."

Riku sent him a  _look_ , eyes squinted as if to ask: " _do you_ ** _know_** _what you just did?_ " The brunet responded with a cocky grin. Another plastic container flew to Sora, which he caught effortlessly, and Riku acquiesced, "That– that was good. I have no further response."

"Oh fuck,  _Frankenstein_?" Axel joined again, sounding terrified.

"Hmm?" Roxas asked, eyes knit together in concern.

"I'm, like, ninety-five percent sure that's my summer reading," he explained, lower lip folded down as he cringed. The blond rolled his eyes.

"No one reads those, Ax."

The brunet couldn't help himself; he laughed. Riku joined him, his smile wolfish: "I'll let you borrow my copy."

* * *

"It's official," Riku announced, though it was so directed at Sora that he was the only one who registered the comment. Sora lifted another mostly-pink-milk-filled spoon into his mouth, curiosity written across his face. The silveret pridefully pointed at Sora's bowl. "You're prejudiced."

The brunet's smile was immediate, and cheeky. He huffed in playful indignation, and replied, "Excuse me?"

"Yeah," Riku teased, "You only ate the marshmallows."

Sora looked down at the bowl; it was true that the only cereal left was pink, soggy grain triangles. "So?" the brunet protested. "It's not like the charms are complaining."

"Well, I am, clearly. You're disgracing my favorite cereal."

"Ugh,  _fine_ , just for  _you,_ I'll eat the rest, will that make you happy?" Sora performed his best Roxas-eye-roll, though Riku was completely unfazed.

Crossing his arms, the silveret nodded, looking satisfied. "Yes, that will appease me."

The brunet made a show of finishing off the last of his bowl, lifting it to his lips to gulp it down like the Beast from  _The Beauty and the Beast_. Sora kept a determine stare at Riku as he did, almost like the whole thing was a challenge of some kind, gasping a satisfied "ahh" when the task was finished.

"But  _I'm_  the drama king."

"I think it might be tied," Xion interjected, and the two looked over in unison. Sora had genuinely forgotten the entire world still existed outside of them two, and the bowl of cereal. Riku looked momentarily surprised, too, but the expression was quickly replaced into his typical stoicism.

"Drama princes?" Nami teased, her voice light, like on the cusp of a giggle.

Axel joined after crunching his milk carton flat on the table. "Now  _that's_ a dj title."

Sora nodded in agreement without thought to the consequences, Riku releasing a quick chuckle behind him. Namine blushed, but replied, "Oh god, you're  _so right_ ; I need to write that down, like, right now."

Roxas rolled his eyes, but didn't protest like he normally did concerning Nami's  _hobbies_. "How long does that make your queue? Forty? Fifty?"

She elbowed her brother. "I'll have you know, I only have ten works-in-progress."

The blond paled. "Oh god, that means you've added–" And he cut himself off, glancing lightening fast to Axel, who grinned like he caught a mouse.

"What was that?" the redhead asked sweetly.

"Absolutely–  _nothing_ ," Roxas vehemently stuttered.

"Fine, fine," Axel relented, creating a very thrown off blond, who kept a steady stare and cherry-blossom flushed cheeks towards him. But the redhead leaned to the side to target Sora: "And don't think you're off the hook either."

The brunet blinked rapidly. "Wh-what did I do?"

He winked, and only moments later Sora's phone buzzed. When the conversation had moved on, and Riku was watching the others, Sora checked the device.

Axel sent him a simple demand: " _You. Me. Intervention._ "

* * *

The "intervention" came in the form of a rainy day. Sora popped into his room from Riku and Roxas's to grab his phone from under his pillow; ready to snapchat Kairi the chess tournament the whole group was engaged in. But Axel and Xion not-so-subtly invaded, too, and blocked the door.

Initially, Sora didn't register the strategic move. "Forget something, too?" he asked, "I wanna snapchat the game."

"Oh, no, you don't," Axel smirked triumphantly, taking Sora by the shoulders and sitting him down on his bed, "Intervention time."

Xion leaned against the bed post near the window, hands in his hoodie pocket. The rain was falling heavily outside their window, making pitter-patter sounds against the glass. It'd be more soothing if Sora didn't feel utterly kidnapped.

"Um," Sora started unintelligently. Truthfully, he was kind of hoping Axel would forget the whole thing.

"Axel's being dramatic; we're just worried about you," the raven-haired teen explained, "You've been so out of it lately. And hey– you never gave us a status update!"

Sora rubbed the back of his head when Axel nodded enthusiastically in agreement. He made a show of settling in, hoisting himself to dangle from the ladder of his bunk, sitting on his own bed in one fluid motion. Sora looked between the two, and felt guilty that they did seem a certain level of concerned. Was he really acting so different? Oh god, what if Riku noticed, too?

Chuckling nervously, the brunet replied, "Really, nothing's happened."  _Just an existential crisis._

The redhead groaned, "Ugh, clearly that's not true, dude."

"In the wise words of Axel, we're gonna ask until you tell us," Xion said, voice teasing but smile so calm and sweet that Sora remembered that he was among friends, "so you might as well cut to the chase."

Sora sighed, relenting. "Yeah, alright… Well, I-I followed Nami's advice and like… read her blog and stuff–" Axel choked on his own spit.

"Are you serious?" he cried, smile so big.

"You  _told_ me to ask her for advice!" the brunet retorted, blushing despite his scandalized tone.

"What'd you think? Other than Nami is a goddess," Xion asked, before Axel could add more.

"It… I guess it made it… worse?" Sora tried to articulate, hands gesturing uselessly.

"Worse is great! I think," the redhead exclaimed, then thought more, and added, "Wait, which way do you mean worse?"

That earned a snort of laughter from both Sora and Xion. It made it a little easier to explain, so Sora began, "It's like… Like, I want to  _try_ to kiss Riku, but then– I think I'd be–"

"Oh my god, you  _did_ like my idea!" Axel cried, grin wide and eyes lit in excitement.

"But I  _can't,"_ Sora interjected out of desperation.

"Whaaaat? Why not?" Axel begged to know, arms spread wide, "Awww, you're  _questioning,_ I'm so proud of you–"

"Oh god, Axel, please  **cease** ," Sora groaned, putting his face in his hands to hide. "That's my new least favorite word, I swear to  _god_ –"

"Wait, wait, so what's wrong with kissing Riku then?" Xion asked, trying to keep up.

"Nothing," the redhead argued, "I seriously,  _seriously_  doubt he'd mind." The comment was directed to Sora and less to Xion.

Xion tilted his head from side to side, seriously considering why Sora was so hesitant. Sometimes, Sora thought it was his own cowardice; he thought that it was simply he didn't want to lose the friendship. But something about the way Axel  _phrased_ that: "That's just it, Axel," Sora blurted, realizing it even as he said it, "Even if he didn't mind, then I'm just…  _using_ him, right? I care about him too much to just… I dunno."

The redhead stared back at him like Sora had several heads, wide grin faltering to a confused smirk. "Sora– you…. I mean, you just said it, you–"

And Xion rushed over and put his hand over Axel's mouth. "Hahaha~  _no_ , you're right, Sora. It is kind of fucked up the more I think about it."

Axel still protested through the hand, but Sora nodded, "R-right? Like, I gotta do something else to… figure this out." Of course, he had not even an inkling on what that could be.

But the redhead still seemed stuck on the idea. "Hold on, I don't get it," he said when Xion released him.

Xion saved Sora from having to explain: "Okay imagine this: Roxas asks you the same thing. So like, you have no guarantees it would work out. You'd be hurt, right?"

Of course, Sora was stuck on the the comparison itself – it hit him way harder than it should have;  _Axel likes Roxas!_ His eyes lit up at the realization, a smile tugging at his lips. He almost said something but Axel's eyes were ice, mirth totally gone from his face.

"Oh," the redhead said, discouraged, "Okay, yeah."

Sora and Xion looked on in mutual concern. "Err… Axel, you okay?" Sora asked.

His jade eyes drifted to the side. "Yeah, no, it's fine," then he morphed his mouth into a pout; the brunet thought it had to be fake. "Well, fuck, sorry my idea was fundamentally flawed," was what he settled on.

"Pfft," Sora said, "It's fine, really – uhm, I'm sorry, though like, it wasn't a  _bad_ idea–"

Xion added, teasing, "I think you're the only person who could get away with that shit, anyway."

This seemed to work, and Axel's smile was at least a little more sincere, the mischief sown in. "And don't fucking forget it." He winked.

Xion leaned against Sora's bedpost again, arms crossed in thought. He smiled, like remembering. "You know, I didn't know I liked my first crush until she got with another guy."

"Oooh, yikes," Axel sympathized.

"Nah, nah, it was my fault," he said, chuckling, "we're like, best friends. We hung out  _all_ the time so I just thought it would be that way forever, you know?"

"No," Axel snickered, "My first crush – I just like, walked up to him like, 'you're cute,' and he was like 'try again' and gave me his number. And we dated for a couple months and then broke up over something dumb."

"You didn't even  _know_ him?" Sora gasped, fascinated.

The redhead shrugged. "No, but like, it wasn't a big deal. It was seventh grade."

"Aka the hellhole years," Xion added. They nodded to each other in understanding.

The brunet found himself nodding, too, despite his complete lack of experience with  _crushes_. Sora's middle school years were entirely spent avoiding Tidus and his friends – an impossible feat for a small town and smaller still public school – and attempting to keep up with Kairi, both socially and academically. He wouldn't have made it without her – the one thing in life he is utterly sure of, but he had to agree, middle school was the  _worst_.

It was then that Sora's phone buzzed in his pocket, and Roxas flung their room door ajar. "Ax, Nami wants to play against you. You've been here this whole time?" The blond sounded kind of annoyed, but smiled when he spotted the redhead peeking around the bed to meet his gaze. Axel met that grin with visible relief, a smile and a shrug. "What's going… ooookay," Roxas continued, just as confused by his reaction as Sora was.

"I dunno, I don't like to make bets I'm not likely to win," the redhead replied, referring to the chess proposition. Axel stood, and Sora followed suit.

"You? Lose?" Roxas sarcastically scoffed.

Xion added, chuckling, "Not possible for the Almighty Tallest." He lifted himself from the bed post again, turning to Roxas.

They began to walk back across the hall, Sora following. Before they exited the room, Xion looked back and winked with a swipe of his hand across his lips: zipping and locking. Sora nodded with a poorly concealed giggle, grateful.

The rain outside was continuing its onslaught, and the brunet wondered when it would end. He felt like the thunder before the lightening.

* * *

**Riku:**

**A/N:** Misspellings are very intentional.

Riku's subconscious was doing a very piss-poor job at mulling over Larxene's offer.

When he was with the others, it was okay; Sora was great at keeping him present, and the others were plenty entertaining. But then, night fell, and he ended up here: two hours and Riku hadn't pressed the 'send' button. Two hours, and it was late, and he couldn't sleep. " _Are you okay?_ " read the text, the name Deni in the contact box at the top of the chat. He hadn't texted his mom all summer, save the photo of his haircut. She hadn't responded, but he wasn't particularly surprised.

Larxene told him to leave his mother in her hands, but both of them knew that wasn't really within Riku's capabilities as a human being. In his mind's eye, he could see her on that couch, eating ice cream and drinking tequila – a reservation for a cold spot at the toilet. She knew it – he knew it even more. Her world was crumbling again, and to Riku there was only one person in the world to pick up those pieces for her.

All that to say, he knew the answer that would come through if he pressed 'send'. But he finally did, a rough sigh escaping his lips like a growl.

Her reply was immediate: " _no._ "

" _He was a piece of shit anyway,"_  he typed back, _"Are you on the couch?_ "

" _I thoutgh he cared._ "

Riku rolled his eyes, lips pursed. It took no effort to see that he didn't, but he knew his mom; she wouldn't hear him right now. She was completely wasted.

" _Are you on the couch?_ " He asked again.

" _Rkui I'm an audlt and ur mom. I lkie the couch._ "

" _Go to bed, mom. In your bed._ "

" _Ku ur hair loosk like when u wree little. I lvoe it, bby. I miss u soooooo much."_

Riku sighed, finding that brushing through his newly shortened hair with his fingers only calmed him slightly.  _God,_ he wanted to be mad; yell at her, tell her that she shouldn't have abandoned him  _here_ when everyone with a pair of eyes could  _see_ this was the inevitable result.

But he couldn't. He couldn't regret meeting Sora. Hell, he couldn't even regret hanging out with  _Larxene_.

" _Go to bed. Love you,"_ was what he settled on.

" _Luv u more. K. niiiiiiiiite_." She hadn't changed at all. It wasn't his fault, but Riku wasn't there to hold her hair back, or tuck her into bed, or make dinner, or work – and made him feel so  _powerless_. His shoulders were heavy and his throat tightened.

It was late. The cicadas singing outside sounded like screeching in Riku's ears. He couldn't fathom going to sleep now. The sharp clinking of keys falling on an old outdoor table flit through his mind, a memory he wouldn't soon forget. If only they could go again, just them two–

He was unlocking his phone again, the light from the screen only momentarily blinding as he searched through his messages. The messages Sora sent to himself on Riku's phone was – unsurprisingly – still a recent conversation under the historical list. He hadn't thought about it before, but his eyes lightened upon finding the messages. Despite the tension in his back and jaw, his lips curled into a smile at the contact name Sora had given himself; Sora Stride, with two purple hearts in between the names and a nerd emoji. Who did shit like this? Only him.

Encouraged, he typed out his simple request. His finger again paused on the send button, but quickly his pride overrode his hesitation. " _Field again?_ "

His heart skipped a beat when under the text appeared a small " _Read at 2:08 AM_ ". And then it speed up awkwardly when the typing symbol materialized.  _He's awake_ , Riku thought in fascination. What was he doing at two in the morning aside from sleeping? Surely Sora's transition had  _nothing_ to do with Riku's all-night  _Kingdom Hearts_ marathons – not at all, he thought with a happy smirk. He waited patiently for the reply, and luckily the reward came quick.

" _U read my mind. Wen?_ " Leave it to Sora to text like a kindergartener. Riku's body felt a little lighter, the sheets just a bit warmer.

" _I guess whenever we get the chance. It's too late tonight."_

_"Tru. Lets try tomorrow. Wb Larx?"_

Riku snorted, enamored by Sora's adorable use of her nickname. " _Got the keys already."_

_"Awesome! i missed us hanging out."_

Riku's breath fled his lungs in one gust. " _You goof. We've been hanging out."_

_"i knew that! i meant just us, like b4."_

The silveret closed his eyes, and let his phone drop to his chest, making a dull echo.  _What the fuck?_ Riku thought, smiling like an absolute idiot.  _Sora didn't mean anything by it_ , he knew… But for a moment, Riku almost believed–

He couldn't bring himself to consider it yet.

He picked the phone back up, sighing and vehemently ignoring how fast his heart was beating despite laying in bed. What a mess he was. He replied with all the honesty he had in his body: " _Yeah, me too._ "

Sora's next message was prefaced with a bunch of smile emojis.  _"Hey, you should go 2 bed."_

Riku paused. That was  _his_ line. " _Okay mom. You should too. G'night."_

_"Lol. Nynite."_

* * *

"Thanks. I would've asked Demyx, but, well… you know," Zexion said, huffing as he leaned with his hands on his knees, catching his breath. "He got us into this mess in the first place," he muttered.

Riku looked around, checking the now rearranged metal racks in the big pantry. When he arrived, they were an absolute  _maze_ ; apparently Xemnas (or  _Mansex_  as Demyx had begun to call him) had asked the sandy-blond to move the racks for some reason unknown, and having little to no spatial awareness, he left them in such a state that Daedalus himself would nod in approval. Even worse, Zexion couldn't lift or pull the shelves on his own, and so, here Riku was.

Some were heavier than others; it directly correlated with how many glass containers the shelves held. It was a miracle that neither Demyx or Riku had broken anything. But thankfully, the pantry was again accessible. The silveret breathed in deeply, catching his breath as well. "Yeah, no problem," he said, walking past a shelf. He snatched a couple Lucky Charms bowls. "I'm taking these."

With an amused grunt, Zexion nodded, standing straight again. His expression had returned to his cold indifference, but considering the he was doing all of this for Demyx's sake, it was clear it was simply a facade. "You earned it. But seriously, stop sneaking in here. You and Sora are fine, but the redheaded guy took almost our entire supply of Oreos."

_So_ ** _that's_** _why_ , Riku thought, remembering the three full bags of Oreos that Roxas had not-so-subtly stashed under his bunk. At least he shared. With a chuckle, Riku waved, Lucky Charms in hand, "Sure. See you around." He actually had zero intention of reprimanding the others.

"See you," Zexion agreed, and that was that.

Riku exited through the back of the kitchen; headed back to the campfire, where the others were enduring Demyx's campfire songs and hiding phones.

He stayed near the line of trees as he walked back for shade, sparing a glance at his phone. No notifications. He was functioning on auto-pilot, already thinking about Sora and Larxene and his mom and–

Suddenly, just ahead of him emerged Axel – he'd recognize that red mane anywhere. What was odd was that he carrying someone bridal-style. Dripping-wet shoes were dangling over his arm, drops of water descending to the ground from his other elbow. He was laughing with them, pretending to drop them and nearly tripping in the process. The one in his arms gripped tighter, arms around his neck, while the redhead recovered his balance. By the giggles alone, Riku wouldn't have known who it was; but the cursing shouts after Axel almost dropped him was so familiar that Riku shook his head.

Without even really thinking about it, Riku called, "Axel, you guys headed back to the fire?"

The redhead turned, equally casual. He shrugged with a glowing grin, "Nah, Roxy tripped into the lake; hey, d'you know where the nurse–?"

Axel pivoted enough to reveal Roxas, whose smile slipped away into horror when Riku met his gaze. The blond dropped his arms from Axel's neck as though burned. Then he practically  _leapt_ from the redhead's embrace, stuttering, "I-it's fine. I'm fine –  _shit_. I can walk."

He was soaking wet from head to toe. Riku remembered the river that was just past those trees, and really– the whole situation was not adding up. What were they doing out there?

"Err–" Riku began. But Roxas stalked over, face completely red and eyes trained on the ground.

"I'm going to change. I-I'll meet up with you guys later." The blond gave no pause for protest. He practically ran toward the cabins, a slight limp the only impediment for his intentions. Axel's face crumbled from dumbfounded, to confused, to  _blazing_. He briefly balled his fists at his sides before releasing the tension. Then, he looked resigned, dejected.

Riku really had no idea what he just walked into. "Err, sorry about that, I didn't mean–" He didn't even know what he was apologizing  _for_ , but Axel cut him off.

"You didn't do anything." His voice was level and hard, but there was a brittleness to it, too. Axel continued, "It's just him."

There was fire in his eyes again, but it wasn't bright. Silently, they began walking to the fire pit together while Riku tried to think of  _something_  encouraging to say. They weren't close, but, well, they had  _one_ thing in common.

"He'll… uh… he'll come back, you know," was what Riku settled on.

Axel nodded next to him, sighing roughly. "Yep. I know it." His furrowed eyebrows and deep-set frown made it clear that wasn't the issue. Riku rubbed the back of his head, officially out of ideas. But the redhead added, "Thanks, though."

Riku's chuckle was decidedly exasperated. "Uh, anytime."

It wasn't long before they reached the campfire, the flames still hot and flickering safely within its stone and metal confines. The group was sitting a few rows back from the front, and the redhead made a beeline for Xion. Riku, a surprise to no one, sat next to Sora, the Lucky Charms bowls in his arms rattling with the contents.

"That took  _forever_ ," Sora complained, "I was about to send in the calvary after you."

The silveret snorted. "What's the calvary?"

The brunet elbowed him, which Riku weakly returned. His eyes went back over to Axel, Xion, and Namine, who were talking– or rather, Xion and Nami were chatting while Axel sat  _silently_ next to them, listening. Roxas was the one soaked to the bone, but it had been the redhead who was extinguished.

Sora said, "Uh, me, duh– hey, Riku, you okay?"

Riku blinked, turning back to Sora. "Err, yeah, I think so? I, uh, when I was heading back I saw–" And then he remembered the redhead was within earshot, and decided now was not the time. God, he wasn't entirely sure what just happened, either. He whipped out his phone, and texted Sora, " _I'll tell you later._ "

He held his breath with Sora peered at the text from his basketball shorts pockets–  _ugh_ , the way it defined his forearms– and fretted over his reception of it. A couple adept taps on his screen and a quick buzz on his own device later, Sora replied, " _l8r?!_ " Angry emoji. _"Hb tonight? Field?_ "

Riku thought about it, checking off the list like he'd done the last several nights: Xemnas left this morning, Zexion and Demyx wouldn't care, Larxene was stocked and therefore  _occupied_ … the only remaining factor was sneaking out after the others fell asleep.

He texted back, " _1 am. Hall?_ "

" _F I N A L_ _L_ _Y._ "

* * *

Riku was able to contain his excitement up until he slid into the driver's seat. He buckled his seatbelt casually, but was totally unaware of the grin that was leaving permanent grooves in his face. But Sora, 'shy' totally void within his personal dictionary, practically  _skipped_ the entire way to the car.

"So much for stealth," Riku teased, heart fluttering at the way the brunet was kicking up rocks in his dance-like shuffle. When Sora opened the door, he continued, "If you scratch Larx's car, she will kill you and I won't be able to protect you."

The brunet giggled as he slid into the passenger's side, shrugging, "Whoops, my bad." The brunet wasn't sorry at all. His seatbelt flew across his body and clicked into place, Sora staring straight ahead through the windshield. For a moment, Riku thought the stars were in his eyes and not the sky.

He blinked twice when the brunet turned to him, hand outstretched expectantly. Riku remembered, and slipped his phone from his pocket, chuckling, "What's the mood today?"

Sora opened his mouth as if he had a retort, but right as the device's weight hit the palm of his hand, he stopped short. Their fingers brushed, and as usual Riku began telling himself it was totally normal and just happenstance and really, he didn't need to be  _this_ flustered over something so mind-bogglingly  _simple_ when not too long ago they shared a  _room_ –

"Hah, uhm," the brunet replied, shifting back toward the dash, "You got Fall Out Boy?"

By the time Riku looked back over– he looked away for sanity and self-loathing– the brunet was already scrolling down the Artists panel to find it. With a flair of self-satisfaction, he clicked.

And then, the pout when he realized the car wasn't on yet took over his features, the music weakly emanating from the phone speakers. Riku sighed to hold back the hopeless laugh. He started the ignition when Sora gave him a silent look of horror, and teased because it was was his best cover, " _Sugar We're Going Down_ is basic as fuck."

"Look, it's on your phone, okay," Sora countered, grinning when the car roared to life.

_Touche_ , Riku thought, but wouldn't say to give the brunet imp more satisfaction than he needed. He pulled out into the driveway, the gravel and engine drowned by the melody of guitars and lyrics. The next time the silveret glanced over, it was to turn out of camp, and Sora was suspiciously still busy on Riku's phone.

"Um, what are you doing?" he asked, eyes flicking back to the road. He asked like he was on the brink of reprimanding a toddler, but that only grew Sora's grin.

"Give me a username," Sora answered him.

His eyebrows quirked up. "Um,  _why_?"

"You  _need_ a Snapchat," the brunet impressed on him.

Really, Riku should have been less surprised. "To talk to  _who_?"

"Me!" Sora cleared his throat, and added like a sheepish recovery, "And Axel, Roxas, Namine, and Xion."

Riku snorted in disbelief by instinct, shaking his head with a half-smile, "Right. Like any of them would want to add me on  _social media_."

"What?!" Sora cried, "Riku, you're the Lucky Charm King!" He faltered, and Riku thanked every star in the sky that he didn't look over when Sora ended with, "No, a- a Charm King. Yeah."

Unfortunately, his imagination easily supplied him. With much less bite than he would have liked, he replied in a mumble, "What kind of title is that?"

"Okay, it's kinda dumb, but like… Riku, we're all your friends now, you know."

What a concept. Feeling utterly disarmed and almost  _reprimanded_ , he replied, "Don't see why, but I'm not complaining."

Sora groaned exaggeratedly, " _Ugh_ , I'm literally going to make your username ex-ex-edgelord-ex-ex if you don't quit it."

Riku stifled a laugh. "Quit what?"

"There's no escape, Riku," Sora haughtily explained, then corrected himself softer, "We promised, remember? You're stuck with us."

Riku gripped the steering wheel a little harder like a stretch, chuckling near-nervously. He jerked his head to flip his bangs back, a new habit born of shorter hair and restlessness. All the sudden, Riku was given a spot at a table he thought he was merely spectating. Maybe the offer had stood the whole time, but it was the first time Riku realized all he needed to do was  _sit down_.

Before the moment was lost to silence, Riku agreed, "Right, right." He remembered Sora asked for a username. He nearly cringed at the name that came to mind, but if he was going to be stuck with any label, it might as well be this: "…How about Road to Dawn?"

The brunet paused, and Riku in his anxiousness spared a glance to the mischief expending his restless energy in the passenger seat. Sora's face was so soft in the little light of the car and phone screen, but it only added to the light shining through his eyes, a soft smile weakening the silveret's resolve to tear his gaze away.

"Wow,  _Kingdom Hearts_ username? Nerd." Every syllable was soft, and a note in a song that was so  _right_.

Encouraged, Riku looked at the seemingly infinite road ahead. "I've picked up a few of your tricks." Then, he smirked.

"What!?" The moment was broken. "Okay now I'm adding exes to it, just for that."

"Oh god, no, have mercy," he begged with a grin too wide. The song changed to another Fall Out Boy track,  _Of All the Gin Joints in All the World_. His lips were mouthing the words without sound as if by instinct.

"Too late. Welcome to snapchat, ex-ex-Road-to-Dawn-ex-ex!" the brunet sang.

Riku groaned as he slowed to make the turn, the sound quickly devolving into laughter. "See, mom, it's not a phase, it's a lifestyle," he rejoined.

Sora laughed back, fingers tapping Riku's phone screen at an alarming rate, little pops coming from the speakers. "Okay, I added me and Kairi," he said finally.

"So it  _was_ just for you," Riku replied before he could think better of it. Sora didn't reply, and the lyric " _we're making out inside crashed cars_ " sang through the radio. Oh god, the silence made it  _unbearable_  – especially that his mouth was still unwittingly echoing the lyrics.

It was dumb – Riku knew it was dumb– but he stared even farther to the left, away from Sora even though he knew he was the only one over-relating and raw but–

Sora's reflection was still red tinted across the glass. He had this  _face_ , like confused and fascinated and what if he heard the same thing in the song that Riku did? There was no way. With a frustrated frown, he turned again, grass overtaking gravel as they finally reached the field. The rain from days prior still left the ground a little soft, and the silveret gratefully focused on finding a firm enough spot to park. He was less skilled with himself, but at the very least he could make sure the car didn't sink into the earth.

"W-we'll probably have to sit on the trunk," the brunet commented.

"Don't leave a dent," Riku replied, because snark was the only language he spoke.

"Pfft, speak for yourself," Sora brightly retorted. It was normal enough, and Riku stopped holding his breath. They simultaneously left the seats of the car, the slam of doors the only sound in the night air.

* * *

When Sora leapt backwards onto the trunk top, a small echoing thump showed where the metal dented in. They both laughed even as the brunet scrambled off, only for the top to bounce back into the shape, and the crisis was averted. Riku sat next to him, close – there wasn't much space for the two of them, anyway – and rested his arms on his knees. The trunk top hollowed in again under their joint weight, but they paid it no mind.

Sora was turned slightly toward him, Riku's phone still in hand. Riku outstretched his hand, silently requesting it back, but the brunet leaned away. "No, no, I'm taking your first snap!" His phone was unlocked with the camera upright facing him in a flash.

"You snapped me to Kairi before," Riku reminded him, rebelliously blocking his face with his arm.

Sora cried out indignantly, leaning and stretching his arms to try to get a better picture, and replied, "That doesn't count. That was  _my_ account."

Riku tired to snatch his phone back, but Sora quickly retracted his arm protectively. A few screen-taps later, and he was handing it back willingly, and the silveret made a show of rolling his eyes. He didn't even see the snap, but he knew Sora probably sent it to Kairi, despite the fact that Riku had never spoken to her. He felt like that friendship had been established for him, and expected, and he was strangely having a hard time finding issue with it.

Sighing, he slid his phone into the pocket  _away_ from Sora, who laughed and stared up at the stars. "Okay, so what did you want to talk about?" he asked, smile sweet and curious.

The silveret exhaled, gripping his wrist like a security blanket. "Uh," he started smoothly, "Who said I wanted to talk about anything?"

Sora snorted appreciatively, "Nice try. I'm going to keep asking, so you should give it up."

"When did you suddenly become bad cop?" Riku teased, earning him an elbow in his side.

"Axel," Sora admitted, shining, blue eyes flitting to Riku as he honed in again, "So, what's up?"

Riku grimaced, not because he didn't want to tell Sora, but instead that he didn't have the words. He thought he would, having spent so much energy into it already. "You… you remember I said Larxene's best friends with my mom?"

Sora turned, clearly excited for story time. "Oh yeah! They're fighting, right? Did they make up?"

"Worse," Riku replied with a laugh, kind of relieved he only had a minimum to explain, "My mom and her boyfriend broke up, so we're moving. And Larxene wants us to move in with her."

"Oh shit," Sora said, considering with wide eyes, "Wait, the boyfriend wasn't you dad, was it?"

"Oh,"  _I never told him?_ "No, no, my dad died when I was like, four. I hated the boyfriend, so," Riku explained.

"Oh," Sora echoed, blinking as if stunned. "Sorry about your dad."

"Eeeehhh," Riku shrugged, somewhat self-conscious, "I don't really remember him, so it's… hard to miss him, which is kind of fucked up but–"

"I feel that way about my real dad, too," Sora said, rubbing the back of his neck, "He's not dead though, so you're better than me. I don't even want to see him."

"That doesn't make you  _worse_ ," Riku backtracked, suddenly realizing that they really hadn't had this conversation before, "Look, you– you should only be with the people you want to be with. Family isn't just blood."

He was rewarded for his outburst with a  _blinding_ smile, Sora's white, straight teeth proudly on display, and he knew he wouldn't forget it for the rest of  _ever_. "Heh heh… you're right," Sora agreed, shrugging like it was simple. "But go on, so, they broke up and you're moving? Are you moving far?"

Riku swiped a hand through his hair. "Uh, not  _super_ far, but that's the thing. Larxene wants me and my mom to move in with her," he said, his voice ending with no finality. It was like he had more to say, but he really didn't, and it all fell flat.

"And thats… bad?" the brunet further inquired.

"I actually have no fucking clue, to be honest," he replied bluntly. He looked up to the stars for answers, but as usual, they held none. They were laughing at him again. "I'd have to change schools, though I guess I don't really care."

"D'you think that– ah, no, nevermind."

"What?" Riku looked over, encouraging the brunet to continue.

"You won't like… miss the school Mikey went to, right?" Sora winced as he said it, but it was unneeded; Riku was kind of touched he thought to ask.

"Ah, I mean," the silveret struggled to articulate, "Yes and no. He hated it there just as much as I did – do."

"Then…" Sora said, clearly thinking. He gave up, tilting his head cutely to the side.

That was just it, wasn't it? There was no  _downside_ , and he knew it, but, "I don't really remember it, but we lived with Larxene before when I was little. And I… Well, it didn't work out then, so what are the chances it will work out now?" It was a rhetorical question, and so Riku continued before Sora thought to answer, "She said it would be temporary anyway while my mom runs the bar, but–" He almost said " _while I run the bar_ " but he knew the brunet would object. Sighing, he finished, "I don't know. It's not even a big deal."

"Even if it doesn't work out  _forever_ , it could still be good, right?" the brunet replied thoughtfully, shaking his head as an afterthought, "Even then, I mean, she's like, your family. Like your big sister or something. Maybe an annoyingly hip aunt or whatever–"

That was it. That was the name he never gave Larxene, but Sora tried it on his lips and it sounded so  _right_. "Family, huh…" Riku mumbled. It was unnerving, the label. Maybe it wasn't that he was averse to letting her walk into their lives after all, but rather that he didn't want to have to watch her go, like everyone else had.

"Yeah, so even if you guys end up moving out, I don't think she's going anywhere." Sora continued, shrugging as if it were a natural conclusion.

Riku was silent again, worrying his lip as he struggled to believe what Sora said, even though he had no counter-argument.

Maybe picking up his anxiety, or just wanting to fill the silence, Sora said, "So when I was, like, eight I think, I had just met my adopted parents 'cause they were fostering me." He stared at the stars while Riku stared at him. "And we went to the mall. I'd never been, because, yeah, but anyway I got hella lost."

Sora glanced back at Riku, suddenly blushing, "Actually, don't tell anyone this story, okay, it's super embarrassing."

"Pfft," Riku replied, shaking his head as a wrinkle on his forehead formed even as a ghost of a smile took his lips, "your trust in me astounds me every day."

"Okay, okay," Sora acquiesced, eyes drifting back to the stars, his thumbs twiddling like he was nervous, "Okay, so I totally freaked out and burst into a sobbing mess. I didn't think they'd find me." He paused for a second, smiling in remembrance. The moonlight was making his skin soft and his ocean eyes shine, and well, Riku was blatantly unable to look away. "Spoiler alert, they found me hiding under a water fountain and apologized for, like, hours, even Leon so – long story short, that's why I don't think Larxene's going to walk out."

Riku coughed a laugh; Sora gave him two puzzle pieces that totally did not connect together. "What?"

"They had just met me!" Sora exclaimed his explanation, "but they treated me more like family than my real one.  _Family isn't just blood_." Then he  _winked_ , and Riku's main processesing unit momentarily lost all function. Even worse, the brunet added as an afterthought, "We are sitting on  _her_ car, after all."

Riku had no argument. The air finally felt clear after breathing in fog for days; finally, he felt like he knew his answer. "She'll kill us if there's mud on it when we get back."

"Only if she sees it," Sora teased, leaning slightly in. Their shoulders touched, and Riku kept composure enough to sit still, just letting it be. It was… nice. The stars were still laughing when the silveret decided to look again, but it wasn't at him anymore; it was with.

"Oh!" Sora suddenly started, eyes wide and grin mischievous, "You didn't tell me what happened with Axel!"

* * *

**Sora:**

"Aww," Sora groaned, frowning, "poor Axel. Roxas is… I don't get it." Now that he knew what happened earlier that day, he was even  _more_ convinced of the redhead's feelings – and even more confused on Roxas's. He hadn't thought about it before. But the upside was that as long as they talked about their friends, Sora could stop feeling so  _fidgety_. Riku was so close that their shoulders kept brushing, causing bursts of fluttery feelings to erupt across his skin and it was  _very_ distracting–

"Pfft, yeah," the silveret replied, and the brunet's attention was immediately stolen, "I think at least seventy-percent of the problem is that Roxas doesn't get it either."

"Seventy-percent is awfully specific. What makes you say that?" the brunet wondered. He wondered if Roxas  _actually_ didn't get it, or if it were something else entirely.

"Dude, he like–" Riku sighed as if the whole thing was troublesome, and Sora tried to stifle the giggle that rose in his throat, "They text  _all_ the time."

"Oh…kay?" Sora said, not getting the connection at all.

Riku tilted his head. Sora admired his jawline, and the way his eyes were so soft and considerate. "I mean, every night till one A.M. Normally."

Their eyes met, and Sora smiled pointedly. "How do you know  _that_?" It was official; Riku cared way more than he let on.

"Roxas does not know how to laugh  _quietly_ ," he replied. The way that Riku's eyebrows flit together, frowning like Roxas was an annoying little brother, did Sora in. He laughed fully now, imagining the scenario: Riku's annoyed face lit by the DS screen, or his phone, his hair mused in the back from laying on the pillow, faded black tank exposing his strong shoulders and collar bones–

_What?_ The brunet's laughter trickled away, like a wave retreating from the shore. He realized he was just staring and jolted, conjuring a response like coming up for air, "Axel doesn't either. He's so far gone, like, he really likes hi–"

He cut himself short when, out of nowhere, he remembered what Namine told him forever ago; that Roxas " _knew the truth, but wouldn't accept it_ ". Was this it? Then why–

"Yeah," Riku agreed, voice wistful, and then continued, "I feel bad, I guess I ruined their moment…"

The silveret kept talking but the words were starting to blur together for Sora as he stared, thinking about Roxas. Why would he text Axel late into the night, only to push him away in the day?

Why would Sora want to kiss Riku, and then reject the idea for Riku's sake?

A chill settled on Sora's shoulder as Riku leaned back, hands on the rear window of Larxene's Toyota. He was looking at the stars now, the bright little specs in the dark atmosphere freckling his crystalline eyes. His voice was a slow, comforting rhythm – a song he always wanted to hear. It was funny that his skin was so  _pale_ despite all the time they spent in the sun, and so  _unfair_ that he had not even a freckle. God, even his nose was straight and stupidly perfect. Sora bet Namine loved drawing him. Kairi was right, Sora was… lucky.

He had spent too long gazing and not responding, because Riku glanced over, a frown of concern forming. It was happening before Sora could really do anything about it, but he tuned in soon enough to listen to Riku ask, "You've been spacing out lately. Are you sick or something?"

He placed a hand on Sora's forehand and his other on his own, comparing the temperature. The brunet was… speechless, and stunned. And he was so close, which they were before but now he was hyper-focused on it and he felt like their bodies weren't the only thing close but what did that  _mean_?

"Mm, no temperature," Riku muttered, continuing stronger, "What's up? I've been talking about me this whole time."

"You were…" Sora barely managed to say, "Talking about Axel and Roxas."

Riku chuckled, smile so  _soft_ and  _fond_ , "Pfft, dork. That was like, a whole five minutes ago."And this was his best friend. He had seen it a million times, the way Riku showed he  _cared_ with every move he made without even trying. Who would check Sora's temperature just because he was spacey? Only him. It was even in the way he teased. He wasn't even  _angry_ that Sora hadn't been listening.

Riku's lips were still in that gentle quirk, and the brunet's heart felt  _spiked_ when he really looked. It wouldn't stop thumping like Sora was in a race. He thought about the last time they were here, and how Kairi and Axel wanted them to kiss again and–

Oh god, he  _did_ want to kiss him. Not like, an experiment, but because Riku was his best friend, because he was so sweet, because they'd been through so much together, because Sora trusted him, because Riku was warm, because he listened to emo music and played  _Kingdom Hearts_ , because Riku's touch was fire and had been since the beginning, and because Riku was… Riku.

And Sora loved him.

Sora groaned, putting his hands over his face as he laid back over the window.  _Oh my god, ooooh my god, ohmygod, ohmigod, oMYgo–_

"Woah, okay," Riku responded to Sora's random outburst, "Now I'm really confused." By his voice, he was kind of amused, but also concerned.

"I–" Sora had to come up with the fastest lie he ever had in his  _life_. His mind was spinning, he felt kind of dizzy, and oh  _no_ , he could still feel Riku's warmth inches away– "It's your fault, I can't sleep anymore."

Okay, okay, it wasn't a lie, but he could work with that–

"My fault?" he replied simply, but there was a smile in it. Sora was trying very hard not to cry. "Look, I'm not the one forcing you to read Nami's comics all night."

And now he was blushing. He wanted to  _immediately_  deny it, like full-on Roxas mode. His cheeks were too warm, and he just wanted his heart to  _cease_. "Who said I read them?"

"You didn't," the silveret explained, "But it was heavily implied."

Sora dared to lift his hands; Riku was still leaning back like he was before, looking down at him. Now his shorter locks of hair were glinting a white silver from the moon. Admittedly, opening his eyes wasn't the wisest choice he'd made, but Riku was teasing, and– and– Sora could handle that.

"Sue me," the brunet decided on, taking the first normal breath, "I'm just supporting Nami."

Riku laughed in disbelief, but didn't argue, shaking his head. "Well, how about you actually sleep."

"Okay, mom, but it's like–" he checked his phone for the time (oh shit, he'd missed  _four_ snaps from Kairi, because he told her him and Riku were going to hang out), "three in the morning, so you are not helping."

Riku sighed exaggeratedly. "We should go back, huh." It wasn't really a question, but they both paused in reluctance.

"I  _guess_ ," Sora echoed their lethargy. He sat up anyway, breath short as he resisted looking over at him too long. Instead he looked at his lap, blinking in amazement with himself.

"Welp," Riku said, tapping the metal trunk, sliding off, "yeah, we'll go before someone notices we're gone." Sora didn't reply, but Riku continued, "And hey, uh… thanks for… listening."

The brunet thought he might be sarcastic considering an entire conversation flew by without Sora mentally present for it, but Riku's look to the side, hands in jacket pockets pulling too hard – he meant it.

Honestly, how had Sora not known the truth before? He smiled wide, shrugging as he too slid off his spot. "Of course. We promised, remember?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I can't believe I made this chapter 9k words. Just. What is my life.
> 
> But, yeah, I still plan to be posting once a month! This one is late due to length, but I have my spring break next week so I'm really hoping to make some headway and post another chapter before March is over.  _Let me dream_
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! If you like the story so far, leave a comment or kudos? It makes a ton of difference. I'm also always up for chatting on tumblr! My username is kaiserin-astraia.
> 
> See you soon!


	16. Doubletalk

**Chapter 16: Doubletalk**

* * *

_Sora:_

"Are you serious?" Kairi cried, a bubbly mix of giggles and disbelief. "Like, really, really?"

"I–" Sora was still getting used to the idea, but, "yeah." Having said it aloud and to the one person who would  _literally_ never let him live it down, those three little words had a heavier weight. Like it was really real. His heart was beating hard and happy, but he felt nausea settle at the bottom of his tummy, too.

"Ahhh!" the redhead screamed loud and long over the phone. Her profile on the phone shook from her excitement.

This was the first chance he had gotten to catch her up. He laid across his bed, ready for sleep, but was waiting for Xion and Axel to return from the showers. He thought she might appreciate the call before midnight, but he was starting to worry whether the FaceTime would remain discreet.

"Y-you didn't  _tell_ him, did you?" she asked in unbridled wonder.

"Of course not!" the brunet replied, bringing his arms in defensively at the mere thought. "I kind of just… got it all at once."

"Aww," Kairi cooed, "Did you like, freeze, like–" She made a dumb face and froze on camera, like a screenshot.

Sora groaned, "Ugh, probably. Kairi, I'm such an idiot–"

Just then, Xion came into the room, his entrance heralded in by the woody scraping of the door. Sora tilted his phone screen into his chest even though Xion couldn't see anyway.

But Kairi didn't get the social cue. "Wah! Dark! Is it lights out–"

Xion raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for the explanation expectantly. "Who's that?"

Sora promptly gave up his stealth; he should have known he'd be caught. He'd talked enough about Kairi for the others to know anyway. "Kairi," Sora said, continuing nervously, face already hot, "Is Riku–"

Xion snickered. "He's uh, still showering last I checked. Why?"

At this point Sora had the phone upright again. Sensing the safety, the digitized redhead sang, "Sora's got a crush!~ Hey, Xion, it's nice to meet you–"

"Kairi, why do you  _hate_ me?" Sora sobbed.

But Xion was even worse. "I think we all knew that already. But you're saying  _Sora_ knows he has a crush?"

Kairi's laughter was gleeful and tinged with pride. Sora was hard-pressed to be upset with her so  _happy_. "Yes! It's a goddamn  _miracle_!"

He stared at the screen, smiling back softly. "Yeah, I guess so," he muttered to no one in particular.

Xion took his attention with a high-five. "Nice, dude," he said. The brunet met the gesture bashfully weak.

"When are you gonna tell him?" Kairi pressed.

Sora's chuckle was decidedly nervous, the kind that lifted his shoulders defensively. "H-how about never?"

Xion frowned. "But… when camp ends…"

It was just one more thing outside of Sora's control. He knew that the  _end was nigh_ , and there was a certain likelihood he'd never see Riku or any of them again. It left his stomach in knots and his head with a dull ache. He couldn't – didn't want – to think about it, especially not with the added bonus of  _confessing_.

Sora's face fell, looking at the bottom corner of his phone like it was shut off. Kairi started gently, "You don't have to decide  _right now_. It's just something to consider, you know?"

"I've never done it before," the brunet muttered. Kairi and Xion shared a glance, twin frowns tugging at the corners of their lips.

"Done what?" Axel interjected, appearing behind Xion. Sora immediately flicked his eyes to the door, that the redhead thankfully closed.

"Confessed," Xion replied, giving Sora a significant look.

Axel's smile was the purest he'd seen yet, ruffling the brunet's hair. "Oh my god,  _finally_ , I thought you'd never get it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sora grumbled, but there was no anger behind it. "Oh, Axel, meet Kairi. Kairi, Axel, Axel, Kairi." He tilted the phone to show him.

"I feel like I know her already," Axel quipped amicably. "Sora has two modes: talking about Riku, and talking about you."

That earned a giggle from the fellow redhead, while Sora sputtered uselessly. Axel's smile was wide and mischievous, but significantly subdued as it had been since The Mysterious Lake Incident, as Sora and Riku had begun to refer to it. Sora was dying to ask if anything else happened, but… He didn't want to put his friend on the spot.

"D'you guys have snapchat?" Kairi asked Sora's two friends. Her deep, blue eyes sparkled hopefully, her grin a cute "v".

Xion nodded, smiling back, but Axel shook his head, showing his dumb brick of a phone. "I can text, though."

"Yay!" she cried, and Sora grinned in agreement; the microcosm of camp was rapidly spilling into his "real life". His world had never been bigger.

"Have Sora text my snapchat username," Xion confirmed. "Actually, I still need to get everyone's numbers, too."

Sora nodded. "I'll add you and Kai to the group chat, too."

"It's mostly Sora and Roxas sharing memes," the redhead informed, head tilted with a teasing but fond smile.

Kairi couldn't contain her excitement. "Count me  _in!_ "

Then, Lights Out actually did occur, and they all laughed in the dark cabin. Xion and Axel bid Kairi farewell and climbed into their bunks, getting lost in the world of their own phones.

"Guess I should go, Kai," Sora said.

"I  _guess_ ," she pouted, but quickly recovered, "Remember to snap me tomorrow. You almost broke our streak!"

"I got it," Sora agreed. With a final chuckle, he said, "Night!"

"Night!" She blew an exaggerated kiss, and promptly hung up. It was dark and quiet then, but somehow, Sora didn't feel alone.

* * *

_Riku:_

It was the  _hottest_ day of the summer yet, decimating every drop of moisture that rained down only days prior. Even the clouds abandoned their coverage. The grass was yellowing, and really there was no amount of time the sprinkling system could run to save it.

The only thing that the group could think to do was finally use the pool. Demyx had advertised it enough. It was partially shaded with a huge plastic covering, and the closest to bearable they could get and still be outside. Xemnas insisted they didn't loiter in the cafeteria as per their norm.

And so, everyone clad like they were beach-ready, made for the pool. The concrete surrounding it would have been a frying pan without the covering, Riku decided. Axel was the first to test it, sprinting and performing a solid canon-ball into the pool, Roxas following shortly behind with a victory yelp as he jumped in.

"Aww, c'mon Axel," Demyx groaned from the lifeguard's seat as soon as the redhead emerged from the cool water, "No running, dude. Or jumping. And use the diving board."

Sora giggled next to him. "Now even Demyx knows his name," he said, and Riku nodded with a grin.

Xion, on the other side of Sora, snickered in appreciation. They looked like a trio; all wearing dark tank tops and swim trunks. It was weird that Riku couldn't tie his hair up, but nice that he didn't have to worry about it. Namine, on his other side, wore the same white bikini she wore to the river; it nearly matched her skin tone. All the silveret could think was that the two of them next to each other probably looked like second suns.

Meanwhile Sora was… so tan. He was a clear, smooth canvas of honey and brown sugar. His smile was bright like their closest star; his eyes matched the sky today. The only flaw Sora had wasn't one; across his nose bridge was a streak of sunscreen, so stark against the rest of his face. Almost unbearably adorable – almost. Walking side-by-side did nothing to help Riku cool off, but it was hard to complain with Sora so insistently within his orbit. Riku was content enough that the brunet wanted to be there.

Riku stopped staring when Roxas gasped, emerging from his dive already laughing like he won something. Demyx didn't even get a chance to chide him before the blond was splashing Axel and looking over his shoulder at the approaching four. "Hurry up, slowpokes!"

"Oh god, it's in my nose," the redhead complained, blocking the water onslaught with an arm, "Roooooox."

Riku rolled his eyes. He guessed they were okay again.

Xion split from the group to head for the diving board, as per the rules. Nami encouraged, "Jump! Jump! Do a cannonball!" She even jumped on the balls of her heels in her enthusiasm.

He  _bowed_ at the end of the undulating board in prelude to his performance and Nami laughed. Then, he jumped high up, finishing with a cannonball into the water. The splash was so big it hit Roxas and Axel, too.

Now, they'd made it to the pool's edge. Namine sat on the steps in the shallow water, claiming to acclimate herself to the temperature, but Xion and Roxas were already stalking over to drag her in. Riku would have joined her – on whose side he wasn't sure yet – but Sora had other plans.

"Hey Riku," he said, smiling like he'd been looking up at Riku already.

But it was probably his imagination. "What?" His response was lazy, completely content to bask in his attention.

That was a mistake. "Got ya," he sang, and grabbed Riku's arm. He promptly leaned back into the pool, literally tugging Riku down with him.

"Oi–"

It was only the cool, chlorine water that negated the way Sora's grip, firm but lingering,  _burned_.

Sora and Riku emerged simultaneously, now completely wet, and already laughing. "You're going to pay for that," the silveret threatened, glaring but grinning.

The brunet backed up as he advanced, weakly splashing as a deterrent. It wasn't working. Riku pushed his hair back, the water slicking it back, making a show of how casually he was about to annihilate Sora.

Behind Sora, Namine had finally been  _dragged_ off the stairs, her hair all in her face as she sputtered, splashing randomly – with all limbs – in attempts to get Roxas and Xion away from her. Axel joined Riku's side to splash Sora, and they all basically converged into a strange splash circle, Sora, Xion, and Roxas in the middle.

"Ah, how did I end up here?!" Xion cried, his arms an X over his face.

Roxas laughed, "Et tu, Namine!?"

"This is what you get!" she retorted, smile eerily similar to her brother's, wicked and gleeful.

Sora, clever when he wanted to be, slipped under the chaotic water's surface, and escaped the death ring – though Riku caught his ankle as he swam past.

"Riku, let go!" the brunet laughed when he came up for air, shaking his leg fruitlessly against the silveret's grip. It was amusing to watch him teeter even with the water reinforcing his balance.

Riku's grin was rather wicked, too. "No," he said, tugging Sora closer into the group again. Sora practically crashed into him, finally falling at the crucial moment of contact. Riku braced the stumbling teen by the shoulders. Maybe it was the sun already kissing Sora's skin, but his cheeks were pink when he splashed Riku away. Most importantly, it broke the circle, turning into an every-man-for-himself-war.

It was short lived. Riku ended up against the edge of the pool, weakly flicking water with his elbows resting up on the concrete. "Ah, my eyes burn," he complained.

Axel, who idled up next to him, nodded, rubbing his eyes. For once in his life, he held Roxas and Nami an arms distance away. "If I need glasses after this, I'm suing."

"I don't think that's how this works," Xion chuckled. The twins gave up their attack, high-five-ing each other at their perceived victory.

If anyone else was in the pool with them, they didn't notice. There must have been, because Riku kept hearing Demyx blow his whistle. It was starting to have a rhythm, like the blond was having fun with reprimanding the other teens.

"Now what?" Riku asked, slicking his hair back again.

"They have those sink-toys," Sora suggested next to him.

Did Sora always get this close? Riku couldn't remember. But his fingers kept brushing Sora's shoulder – that's how near the brunet drew. God, his  _gut_ said something had changed since they went to the field, but – if he said something, would it stop? If ignorance was bliss, he could pretend a little longer, right?

Riku wanted to get out of the pool soon. Not that he wasn't enjoying it, but Sora's shoulders were starting to look pink-tinted. And Riku didn't know how much more he could take of their hands brushing, Sora crashing into him, and staring up at him with wide, happy, sparkling eyes, grin childish and toothy and so  _fucking close_ –

"We could see who picks them up the fastest," Roxas suggested, drawing Riku's attention. He huffed a silent sigh of relief.

"We don't have goggles, though," Nami argued.

"That just adds to the challenge!" Xion countered encouragingly. "No one else is using them, at any rate."

"Well, count me out," Axel sighed, jade eyes rolling, "I'm too tall. It'd be unfair."

"You're not  _that_ tall," Sora critiqued, "If we throw them into the deep end…"

"You wound me," Axel joked. "But, fine." In one fluid motion he lifted himself out of the pool from the side. He was probably the tallest, lankiest person Riku had met but, Axel's physique showed he used his strength a lot – all leaned, toned muscle. Namine giggled and the silveret thought it was because the redhead was retrieving the toys without having been asked but he was wrong. One glance at Roxas said enough. He hadn't even noticed his sister's lilting voice, eyes following and set on Axel.

He returned with the brightly colored stick and circle-shaped sinkers, teasingly throwing them as he walked. Another "illegal" jump into the pool, one of that Demyx ignored with a lazy sigh, and he was back. Roxas blinked rapidly and poorly attempted a competitive smirk.

"We've got…" Riku counted, "ten, so, it'll have to be one on one."

Sora elbowed him excitedly. "You're on," he said. Riku elbowed back, checking himself just in time before he flung his arm around the brunet's shoulders. "Hell yeah," he said, hoping it sounded normal.

"I call dibs on first round," Nami interjected, water waving around her as she hopped.

"Then you go, Ax," Roxas insisted, smile sweet and casual – it reminded Riku a lot of Sora, "I'll play whoever wins."

"Aww," the redhead cooed, "You want me to win for you?"

Riku rolled his eyes, Sora giggling next to him. The silveret waited for the scoff, the ' _no, you idiot!_ ' and everything else – but instead, Roxas stammered, "P-pfft. Of course not."

That was the least convincing thing he'd ever heard Roxas say. Axel's smile was a little more helpless than plotting, but regardless his hand went to Roxas's hair, to ruffle the wet, blonde locks.

But Roxas slapped his hand away.

Riku instinctually winced – more for the awkwardness than anything else. The two stared at each other, the rest equally at a loss. Surprisingly, the redhead was the first to recover, cooly replying as he retracted the hand, "Sorry."

"Whatever."

Axel wasted no time to close the distance between him and Nami, who was sending concerned glances at her brother. The tension made her silent, but the redhead seemed eager to move past it.

"So~ra, throw the things?"

The brunet jolted beside him. Instinctually, Riku leaned to grab a few, handing them off. Sora had a grateful smile. In fact, he kept Riku's gaze just a  _beat_ longer than strictly necessary – if anyone asked, it was the heat that made Riku's cheeks pink.

"Five on each side, right?" Sora called.

Nami, seemingly recovered, nodded. "Throw 'em all to the deep end," she said, smiling at Axel sickly sweet, "don't got easy on me."

The redhead and brunet laughed. "Okay, okay," Sora agreed. He flung the toys past the competitors, splashing into the water with a slapping force.

Suddenly, Demyx interjected, "Hey, I can help referee! I can see who grabs five first!"

"Pfft," Riku huffed at him, "You were gonna watch anyway."

Demyx was never one to be embarrassed. He smiled sheepishly, "Caught me! Okay, on your mark… get set…." Nami had her cheeks puffed out, ready to hold her breath, "Go!"

Some ten minutes later, it'd been narrowed down to Roxas and Sora; turned out, Axel couldn't hold his breath worth shit, and without Riku's contacts in, he couldn't see shit under the water.

"I'll cheer you on, Roxy," Axel lilted from the sidelines, Riku next to him. His nose and shoulders were starting to look pink, too, but Riku wondered if it was the reflection from his hair or sunburn.

"Oh yeah? Gonna give me cpr if I drown, too?" Roxas grunted back. Riku honestly couldn't tell if he was teasing or not, and the redhead didn't seem to have much better comprehension. The smallest moment of a frown twitched at his lips, but it was gone as soon as he crossed his arms.

"I  _could_  do that," the redhead called back, voice pointed and subtly lacking the joking air he always had, "but you really don't need to drown to kiss me, though." He immediately looked to the side like he said too much, regret lining his jade eyes. But just as quickly, he tossed the hesitation aside with a rough sigh and stared at the blonde; a challenge.

The blond's response was immediate, cheeks burning and nose twisted in a flustered bewilderment, "That's not what I– K-kiss you? I'd never–" And then his sputtering stopped, glaring hard. "Fuck off, asshole."

When Axel flinched, Riku knew a line had been crossed. More words spilled out before anyone could really intervene: "That's not what you said yesterday." Axel was ice again, voice hard and flat and heavy.

Riku tossed an anxious glance to Sora, who fidgeted uncomfortably a couple feet from Roxas. His mouth was agape in shock, jaw fluttering like he was going to interject but thought better of it. If Sora didn't know what to say, Riku sure didn't. Namine, who was poised to throw the sinkers, stared between her brother and Axel, perplexed.

"Uh, guys–" Xion began, apparently the only one brave enough to attempt mitigation.

But Roxas was having none of it. In a flash, he was at the side of the pool. Even though the depth overcame his height, he climbed out in one fluid lift. The water crashing and dripping off him was the only sound aside from the other bystanders in the pool, who were totally unaware. With no hysterics, no screaming, and no glance behind him, Roxas rigidly paced away. His neck was still red, a deep bloom from his face.

Axel looked like he might combust in one blink – and incinerate anything with just a gaze. His stone pose was one Riku knew well; the kind you did when one move might unhinge you from the planet.

Nami spoke anyway, tentatively stammering, "Um, Ax…"

And that extinguished him. She sounded too much like pity. Copying the departed blond, he spun around and lifted himself from the pool, though with much less required effort. He at least spoke, voice empty and forced, "Checking out. See you guys later."

He walked away stiffly. The heat seemed to emanate from him more each step he took, the air around him warping like the summer's promise and the veil between them burning to ash.

The rest of the group just stared at each other, frowns equally deep on their faces. Namine looked hopelessly after her brother, the conflict settling between her brows. But surprisingly, it was Demyx who broke the group's silence, calling to them impertinently, "Yo, guys, what's wrong with them?"

Riku sighed so long and hard, Sora – who had suddenly appeared next to Riku again, but  _when_ had he walked over? – actually broke into some poorly stifled giggles. "You should stick with life-guarding, Demyx," Sora taunted, shaking his head. Riku had to nod in agreement.

"It's boooooring up here," he frowned, but they didn't reply. The group sent more discrete and meaningful glances to each other.

"We should give them time to… cool off," Riku added.

Nami looked unhappy about it, but nodded. "Ugh, let's get out. I can't draw in this heat," she settled on, twisting a lock of her hair in irritation.

Xion and Namine headed to the steps to walk out the pool, and Sora tugged on Riku's arm. The silveret blinked several times, gazing down into the ocean eyes that were sparkling like the water splashing around them. It took several iterations of convincing to keep himself calm at Sora's casual but insistent grip on him. It was… too sweet.

"C'mon, let's go, too." Sora seemed to reconsider, his grip lessening as he blushed and looked anywhere but Riku's eyes. He added, like it was an excuse somehow, "What's the app you've been playing again? I wanna try it."

"Guuuuys, don't leave me!" Demyx groaned, and Riku glared. Where was Zexion when they needed him?

"Good _bye_ , Demyx," Riku asserted, before smiling probably too soft at Sora. "Sure, let's go."

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku could vividly imagine that if Sora were here, this entire scene would play out like Anna hesitating to knock on the ice-door in  _Frozen_. He had an inward quick laugh, imagining Sora whispering to Axel or Roxas: " _why isn't he knocking? Do you think he knows how to knock?_ "

But somehow he still felt nervous, standing outside Larxene's door. Sora wanted to come, of course, but Riku told him he needed to do this himself. And anyway, with Roxas and Axel's silence, the brunet was desperately needed to keep signs of life among the group. After a fist-bump that lingered  _just_ a moment too long, he let Riku go. It did give him courage, but now that Riku was remembering that he had never actually been here, he was hesitating again.

He could just text her. He could just wait until she flagged him down for some miscellaneous task again. He could–

No, this was his choice, and he was going to prove he could make it.

With a irritated huff, he finally knocked on the door. The door was cheap, and old, so the sheer force of his knuckles made the door open an inch.

"Go away, Demyx," Larxene snapped from within, "Whatever it is, bother Zexion."

"Even worse," Riku chuckled, not entering yet  _just in case_ , "It's me."

"Oh, Ri!" she said, with a lot less malice than he thought she'd have. Then she snickered, "You can come in. I'm not naked."

With that assurance, he slipped into the room, clicking the door closed behind him. He wasn't sure what he expected, but what he saw wasn't it. Her chic tank tops and short shorts were replaced with an old Harvard sweater and the greyest, most basic sweats Riku had ever seen in his life. Her small frame was swimming in the cloth. He must have had a  _look_  because she looked down at herself, laying across the bed, and asked, "What? One of my exes went to Harvard, sue me."

That earned a small snort. "I can't even imagine what went wrong there."

Her grin was cocky and wolfish; a reminder that the Larxene Riku grew up knowing still existed. "He tried to tame me."

"That's hilarious," Riku supported. Larxene cackled and sat up, crossing her legs childishly. A couple twists to the side and she found the remote, turning the volume down on her TV that was playing some old soap drama. The silveret stored that information in his inner blackmail folder.

But then she pat the spot next to her. "That chair is 95% sharp springs, trust me," she explained, pointing with a long, acrylic nail at the chair Riku had been eyeing.

Shrugging helplessly, he obliged, sitting next to her. Already, this was weird. But then again, everything was weird lately.

"Okay, so what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked, pushing her hair back in attempts to make it resemble her normal 'do. Even her eyeliner was a day old, smudged along the edges. Riku felt like any second she was going to reveal she had a long lost child and this was how she was coping.

"Uh…" Riku started intelligently. This wasn't the conversation flow he'd obsessed over. "How's mom doing?"

"Oh, you're still worried about that?" Larxene quickly countered. She shrugged. "Yesterday she kicked fuckface out. He was causing a scene so I had Marly handle it."

"…Who?" the silveret replied, a little tense at the news.

"Marluxia. Don't worry, he's my gay bestie. Deni knows him, too." She said it like that made mollified the situation. Riku rolled his eyes;  _whatever_.

"Okay," he replied lamely.

"She's  _fine_ , I promise," the blonde insisted, tsking. "I'm not completely useless."

"Could have fooled me," Riku replied, matching her teasing smile.

She elbowed him, her laugh hard and quick, "Brat. Is this what you came to do? Bully me?"

He raised his hands in surrender. It was hard to be mean to her in ugly sweats and pouting like a child.

Oh god, and he was signing up to live with this. He wanted to laugh at himself, but didn't.

Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. "No, actually… you were talking about us moving in with you, and I'm guessing Mom has to move out of the apartment soon, right?"

Larxene nodded, expression a little more solemn. "Yeah, I mean, I think she has another week, but yeah." She started inspecting her nails, face carefully level.

"I was thinking…" Riku started, trying to sound sure and strong and all those things adults supposedly were, "I only have a year left of school so… it'd be cool if we could stay with you at least until then?"

The effect was immediate; she perked up, eyebrows reaching up her forehead. "You mean…?"

Oh no, she needed him to talk more. Kind of panicking, he continued, "I don't want to move around anymore so I'm just saying, you'd be stuck with us–" Oh god, he was practically quoting Sora now–

But Larxene squealed happily, tackling him with all her might (which, wasn't much considering the inch of cushion surrounding her) in a hug. "Yay! Ah, I can't wait to tell Deni!"

He hugged her back, vehemently refusing the blush that wanted to appear on his face. She was hard to hold onto, practically bouncing in place. Truly, she was a child in an adult body. "This won't be a slumber party, you know," he replied (though he doubted it), but she didn't seem to notice.

"I'm snapping you to Deni so that you can't take it back," she sang.

"Wha–" He tried to pull away, but she clung tight, cackling as she recorded one-handedly behind him.

"Aw, we're so cute, so sweet–"

"Ew, god no, please–"

When he finally pried her off him, she had already succeeded in her mission. She typed on the screen as Riku glared, eventually having an epiphany: "Wait,  _Mom_ has snapchat, too?"

"Pfft, yeah of course. Welcome to this century, Riku." She waved a hand for emphasis. Then she added with another snicker, "We already added you, dork."

That was so cringe-y, Riku knew it was time to go. "Well, I'm out of here," Riku said, standing and scowling.

"So soon?" she taunted, placing her phone in her lap victoriously. The excitement was still like a tremor under her skin, her jade eyes shining.

"And what, watch old soap operas with you?" he teased back, "I'll pass."

"It was the only thing on!" she complained, "It's not like there's wifi."

"Yeah, yeah," he said, shaking his head. A pause, and he was already thinking ahead again. "When camp ends, we could just go home together."

Larx blinked, like it was obvious. "Yeah. That was kind of the plan anyway."

"I'm driving."

"Ugh, fine," she agreed a little too quickly. "You drive crazy. Don't kill us."

"I'd  _never_ ," he smiled, crossing his arms as he leaned on the wall by the door. Larxene still looked like a kid on Christmas morning, clad in her PJ's and hair in disarray and face bright. It was hard not to be at least a  _little_ optimistic about the move if Riku made her  _this_  happy.

"Okay, you can go now," Larxene said, feigning indifference, "before your dorky friends get any weird ideas."

"They don't need any help, you're right," Riku agreed. "Text me if you decide on a school."

"Haha, fuck, I'll let you pick. I've narrowed it down to two."

All these choices lately. He smiled gratefully. "'Kay. See you, Larx."

"By~e." She wiggled her fingers as usual, but the gesture was starting to grow on him.

It was a departure with the promise of many future hellos. Riku was happy for that.

* * *

_Sora:_

"Namine, are you sure this is going to wor–"

"Shh!" she shushed Sora, eyes filled in determination, "They haven't talked in  _four days_."

"Five," Riku quipped, sitting against the wall behind Sora where they crouched. The silveret was obviously unamused being dragged along for their plot, playing  _Union Cross_  on his phone of all things. It made Sora's hand twitch for his own phone, to play with him like before.

_"Click that button."_

_"You're gonna have to be more specific."_

_"The party button," Riku clarified, looking over Sora's shoulder. They sat shoulder to shoulder, Roxas on the other side of Riku at the lunch table. Since Axel was talking to Xion and Nami, well, Rox was allowing himself Riku's entertainment._

_"Found it," the blond said. "What's your ID? I have to search for you first."_

_Sora finally exhaled when Riku tilted to respond to Roxas._ **_God_ ** _, Riku was so near he could feel his very breath brush his skin, his goddamn_ **_hair_ ** _tickling his arm. It was a torturous dichotomy; always wanting the silveret closer, only to melt and spasm under the attention. This was it; this was how he died._

_But Sora found the button and clicked; he and Roxas were joining Riku's clan in Union Cross. Sora, because he was overly concerned in nesting himself in Riku's world as much as he could; and Roxas, because he was bored and allegedly had enough of watching Riku play without an account himself._

_As soon as the brunet had relaxed again, Riku was back nearly resting his chin on his shoulder. He was warm and smelled like a mix of summer and clean linen. It was a common smell, but somehow Sora had begun to associate it irrevocably with him._

_His fingers were stiff above his phone screen. Riku took it as needing further guidance. "Oh, my ID is 3… 5…"_

_His voice was really too soft for just uttering numbers. Sora's hands had started to shake – just a little. Riku must have noticed, because he glanced to the side at him. His lips turned into a soft frown, and so Sora gave a shrug and a silly, toothy grin – like his hands just couldn't be helped. And they couldn't._

_Neither could the feeling he got when looking into Riku's bright, clear eyes._

Namine's voice cuts through to Sora in front of him, "Ugh, we don't have  _time_ for this anymore!" Sora cleared his throat uselessly, throwing his focus into the present again.

"I really thought they'd be over this by now," Xion muttered, sighing.

Riku tilted his head and sent Nami a sarcastic smile. He started, "They'd probably make up without our intervention." His gaze turned back to the phone and he tsk-d, apparently having died in-game, "Roxas's about to break."

Sora turned to Riku with raised eyebrows, remembering what he said before. "Is he going stir-crazy or something? Since they aren't texting?"

Riku grinned a little mischievously. "Yeah, something like that."

Sora didn't know what  _that_  meant, but if he could procure the look on Riku's face again, he'd do it.

Nami interjected, "Texting?"

Xion added with wonder, "Oh, that's probably who Axel was texting then, before bed, right?"

When Sora and Riku nodded in unison, Namine's face morphed into a gleeful, twisted grin. Sora could have sworn her eyes sparkled and she dipped forward, exclaiming, "That means they've been talking since camp ended before!"

She kept leaning toward him in her excitement. Sora giggled nervously, tilting far back away from the encroaching blonde, his hair brushing against the floor. "Yeah, t-thats great, Nami, I mean they probably like each other, right–"

Sora glanced up, meeting Riku's eyes that hovered, wide and surprised, right above him. He held his phone horizontally in one hand, faltering like he wasn't sure what to do. Sora realized all at once his hair was brushing Riku's crossed legs, not the floor. His entire face must have bloomed cherry red, but he still couldn't bear to break the gaze, already spell-bound in Riku's aqua crystalline eyes, his lips so temptingly parted ever-so-slightly–

His hard heart beat jolted him out of the stupor, and he instantly sat up. Laughing it off, he scooted further back to escape Namine but closer to the silveret – likely causing more self-incrimination. Grinning sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his head.

"Like-like each other," Sora finished lamely. He snuck a glance behind him, wondering if Riku had any reaction.

His cheeks were a soft pink, but he was pretending to be buried in his phone. Oh god, it was both agonizing  _and_  cute.

"That won't mean anything if they hate each other now," Xion reminded him, unfazed by… whatever just happened. "I swear, if I have to spend  _one more_ awkward meal together, I will become  _unhinged_."

Sora was eager to agree with Xion, giggling to normalcy, but Namine shushed them again and scrambled to look through the cafeteria door window. Unable to hold back his curiosity, Sora too peeked through the corner of the glass.

Roxas had already sat at their normal table with his food tray, looking forlorn and annoyed that none of the others were there. His phone was on the table, face up, probably waiting for some explanation he wouldn't receive. The brunet already felt guilty having participated in this set up, but Namine had sharp, determined eyes and a small, impish grin twisting her delicate features. Sora knew that no force on earth could stop her from helping her brother.

"There's Axel," Xion whispered, though for the life of him Sora didn't understand the need to be quiet. But still the three sets of eyes darted over to the redhead, who walked over with his tray one-handedly. Before he sat, he paused, a hand on hip. He even glanced around, his gaze falling on the door they were hiding behind. They tensely stilled in silence, but Axel's shoulders dipped in a sigh. With no further ado, he turned and walked off.

"Shit," Namine hissed, "Why are they so stubborn?"

Sora shrugged, whispering back, "I dunno, I didn't think Axel would be mad this long."

She sighed in frustration. "Time for Plan B."

* * *

_Riku:_

Roxas paced, back and forth, from the window  _all the way_  to the door of their cabin. The only sounds in the room were his small growls and groans with increasing frequency the more he looked at his phone. His feet were bare, but the intensity of his steps still made hollow bumps against the wood.

It was midnight. And Riku was  _trying_  to play  _Union Cross_ in peace.

"Roxas, can you  _please_ stop that?" the silveret finally outburst, sending an annoyed glare to the blond. "I'm about to lose my mind."

He stopped abruptly, mouth set in a frustrated frown as he glared back. " _Ugh,_ I can't! I  _can't_.  _I'm_ the one losing my mind." His hands, done gesturing this way and that, relocated to his hair, ruffling and pulling and itching.

Riku glanced to the phone in his hands; it was unlocked, the screen on his messages. The irritation lifted into sympathy. Roxas went back to pacing. The silveret decided he was going to go out on a limb here: "I wouldn't… try to fix it over text, personally."

As the silveret sat up, a shiver crossing his tank-top covered shoulders, Roxas glanced desperately to his device and back at Riku. Riku braced for the " _it's none of your business!_ " and " _what do you know?_ " replies, but instead Roxas seemed to contemplate the thought.

"He won't talk to me," the blond replied, exasperated and aggressive. "I don't know what else to do."

Riku didn't want to tell him that his sister was plotting a remedy for this very thing. Instead, he decided the content of it was important. "What do you plan to tell him?"

When Roxas paused, Riku realized it was, admittedly, a little awkward. Riku and Roxas were in the strange terrain between acquaintances and friends – friends by association, maybe. But the memory of Sora's hopeful face, lit by the car, contradicting that instinctual thought, kept him from taking the inquiry back. Even if they weren't friends, Riku would be one regardless.

After a moment, Roxas's cheeks flushed a soft pink. Voice mumbly and stubborn, he answered, "That I'm sorry, for being a dick – probably."

In other words, he actually hadn't thought that far out. Hence the pacing. Saying it aloud must have made it too real because Roxas groaned, sitting on his bed across from Riku as he returned to hysterics. "He hates me. That idiot… He totally hates me. Why doesn't he  _get_ what I–"

"There's no way he hates you," Riku interjected, trying his damnedest to sound convincing and soothing. He was still reeling that this conversation was even happening. "I think he's just… confused."

"Confused on  _what_? I told him over the–" He huffed, and backtracked, "Yeah, I guess I just… I thought he was fine, the way things were."

He didn't sound totally convinced, and so Riku wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know the definition of "the way things were". In fact, he didn't know how Roxas felt at all – no one did. Except maybe Namine.

"Err… well, I think he was okay because he cares about you." Riku tried desperately to say " _cares_ " in the most general way possible, "but the mixed signals will… make him give up."

He said it, because Riku knew about pushing. Pushing and pushing out a perimeter around oneself. Mixing signals was pushing. When someone tried to burst the bubble before, Riku just pushed, with silence and cold, lifeless stares. He used to be good at it – until a certain brunet had enough life and sound for the both of them. But Sora was the exception, and not a boon to be expected or one he deserved. He knew that, too, and knew it well.

"He probably has already," Roxas muttered, staring at the phone in his hands helplessly. He let himself fall back, arms spread wide. "I'm not… like Axel. I didn't know that…  _ugh_ ," he growled at himself in vexation, and Riku waited. "I haven't  _liked_ someone like this before. The whole thing was just so  _embarrassing_ – especially with Namine just waiting."

The blond kept his eyes carefully trained on the wooden support beams of his bunk above him; Riku knew enough that that was the only way he could admit to anything. And yet for some reason, the silveret felt kind of relieved.

"I feel like… he'd get over it, if you told him that."

Roxas tilted his head up with a curious expression. "You're not laughing at me," he stated, deadpanned.

Riku looked just as curiously back. "…No?" If he did, he'd be the most hypocritical being between here and the Milky Way.

"Then I'm twice the idiot," he replied, sighing – calmer. "I'd deserve it for, y'know, the hair thing."

Oh god, Riku had honestly forgotten all about that. Chuckling in surprise, the silveret answered, "Don't worry about it. I cut it all off, anyway."

"Looks good… Sora did a good job."

Riku had to look to the side, self-conscious, but agreed anyway. "Yep," he said, inspecting a lock of hair by pulling it to the front.

"Wow, you're just about as obvious as Axel."

"Excuse me?" He dropped the hair. Riku squinted at the blond instantly, crossing his arms. Suddenly he realized the conversation somehow shifted to focus on  _him_  – and he did not approve. "Sora hasn't noticed, so it doesn't matter," he amended begrudgingly.

Roxas laughed for the first time in  _days_ , shaking his head. It was short, a bark that bordered on irony. That almost made it worth it, but then he said, "Oh my god, he'll never figure it out. Never. Not even in a million years."

Riku rolled his eyes before scowling. He wanted to say it didn't matter, that it was fine, that it's what he expected. But the end of camp was looming, and it was like his mouth was glued shut.

Luckily, Roxas didn't need any motivation to continue. "We should say something," he said. It was a joke tinged in wonder.

The silveret snorted. "Jesus  _Christ_ – you first."

"I'll take death, thanks."

"Axel's got a lighter," Riku encouraged, poorly.

"Try five." He held up his phone and Riku caught the image before he dropped the device on the bed like him rejecting the phone could assuage the sting he felt. "That's his favorite one." A red-metal lighter with black flames trailing the bottom was his phone screen.

"I'm sorry," was all Riku could think of to say. He felt dumb, having thought Roxas indifferent. "…Do you still have Oreos left?"

Roxas's head perked up. "Yes. Wanna finish the last sleeve?"

Riku nodded, and Roxas scrambled to retrieve them from under the bunk. Right then, Riku's phone buzzed. He searched the bed surface for the device, but before he could retrieve it, Roxas shook the full Oreos bag.

"Oh no," he taunted, eyes flitting to the phone and back, "you're suffering with me."

With an exaggerated, gravelly sigh, Riku outstretched his hand. Roxas snickered and placed three cookies there with a grateful smile that finally had some semblance of mischief in it.

He decided whatever the notification was could wait. Suffering with Roxas was good.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hate writing the Conflict Times. Like the bullying scene from f o r e v e r ago, and then Axel and Roxas fighting just, killed me lol. Rip me. If you can't tell I couldn't help but surround it with Way Too Much Fluff lol, but I hope you liked it anyway!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! :D See you again in April! (Happy spring! and Easter!)


	17. The Words 'Best Friends' Become Redefined

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Chapter title from on Chiodos's "The Words 'Best Friends' Become Redefined"

**Chapter 17: The Words 'Best Friends' Become Redefined**

* * *

_Sora:_

"What are you looking for again?" Riku whispered to Sora in the dark supply closet. It was more like a room; it had plenty of space, but was split into rows of metal shelves filled with untouched paraphernalia. The stale, dusty air made it clear the closet was rarely accessed, but Sora didn't let that deter him; he had a mission.

Too focused to reply, Sora pilfered through a big cardboard box, huffing when he didn't find the Lost and Found container (a lie of a name – it was really the "Stuff Admins Confiscated From The Teens" box) inside. Riku stood behind him expectantly. When his small search proved fruitless, the brunet finally turned to Riku to explain, "Zexion took Axel's last lighter. He probably put it in here somewhere."

"Pfft," Riku laughed, but quietly, "Zexion hasn't taken my DS, so Axel really must have pissed him off…" Still, the silveret obliged to the task, peering at the miscellaneous items on the shelf next to Sora. It was a stealth mission, technically, and it showed in their silence and careful shuffling.

Sora whispered back, laughing airily, "Yeah, right. You know Larx would sneak the DS back to you anyway. Check your privilege."

"I sincerely hope that is the first and last time someone says that to me," Riku replied, rolling his eyes with a smile. Sora's smile back was instinctually soft, an expression more permanent every time he so much as glanced at his best friend, so he looked away.

When he found yet another box of crushed ping-pong balls (did they even  _have_ a ping-pong table? Why keep boxes of ping-pong corpses?), Sora sighed in frustration. "Would it kill them to label?" he mumbled. The dark didn't help, but they didn't want to turn on the lights lest they get caught.

"I saw your suitcase," Riku quipped, "You have nowhere to talk."

"That was!.. Controlled chaos!" And anyway, he'd been in a rush to pack when they left their shared room – he'd left it until the last minute and Zexion looked annoyed.

"This is controlled chaos, Sora."

"No way, this is more like, chaotic evil," the brunet argued, pointedly staring at a small bug carcass to ensure it didn't move. He pushed a box of office supplies to the side.

"We're on DND now?… Oh, Sora, is this it?" Riku interrupted himself, turning.

Inside the box he held out was full of pocket knives, lighters, a couple pepper sprays, and one blue Gameboy Advance. Sora sincerely hoped the owner of the handheld console would retrieve it before leaving. But seriously, why all the weapons? He  _carefully_  dug through and quickly found two lighters he'd seen Axel play with. "Yeah!" he whispered triumphantly to the silveret, "Nice find." He scrambled to stand, wiping dust off his knees.

Riku nodded back, and took another lighter from the box. It was red with a flip-open top, black flames lining the bottom. He glanced between Riku and the thing, almost concerned. "That yours?"

"No," he said vaguely, still inspecting it, "I'm going to give it to Roxas."

"Wha–"

Just then, the door into the room burst open with a loud bang. Frightened, Sora instantly winced and ducked down, a whispered curse escaping past his lips. The two sent panicked glances that said the same thing: " _hide!_ " But their only hope was remaining low behind the row of shelves they'd just been inspecting, and so they crouched, using the noise of the door and person to stabilize secretly.

"Seriously, I've had  _enough_ of you two!" a familiar feminine voice exasperatedly, frustratedly cried. "You're working it out, or staying the night in here."

Some more shuffling that sounded like feet against the tiled floor. Then, the door slammed again and clicked – locked shut. Xion's voice came next, a little more sympathetic than angry, "We'll let you guys out when you're done fighting, okay?"

That's when Roxas sprung into action. "Namine! What the fuck!?" he yelled. He rattled the doorknob and banged the door for affect, but his sister made no reply. Maybe she was gone already.

"You're going to have to be a  _little_ more persuasive than that, Roxas," Axel critiqued cooly. Sora almost winced at the use of the blond's full name.

Apparently, it had a similar affect on the blond. "I–" he started, then groaned, ending with another grumbled, "what the fuck?"

Sora and Riku looked at each other, comprehension dawning at the same time. Namine had locked Roxas and Axel in, unknowingly imprisoning  _them_ in, too. The brunet mouthed to the silveret nervously, " _What do we do?_ "

Riku grimaced and shrugged like a surrender. He leaned in to whisper, but before he could say anything, Roxas echoed Sora's unspoken plea in a growl: "Well, what do we do?"

Axel's sigh was unnecessarily long and gravel-y. "Sit here, I guess. They left." His voice was resigned, and clearly annoyed.

"Oh,  _now_ you're talking to me?"

"Not by choice."

Sora glanced at Riku, his expression enough to convey: " _yikes_." The silveret was turned away from the shelves so he couldn't peer through to watch, but Sora couldn't help himself. He was worried about them. Riku glanced in concern to the fighting duo, crossing his arms.

Roxas scoffed, scraping his feet noisily on the floor. The two couldn't look at each other. Axel had his arms crossed, gaze intent on the window of the door. The blond was staring at the floor.

"...I don't get it," Roxas finally said, voice so quiet Sora was surprised he heard it. Out of the corner of his eye, Sora saw Riku shift a little. The fear of getting caught was making him hyper-aware of every movement.

"Get what?" Axel indulged him, as he always would.

"I-it was our  _thing,_ you know, you'd tease me and I'd yell at you and you'd laugh it off."

"Oh, so are you  _are_ aware," Axel said, glaring lightly. Sora thought that was a step up, given the circumstances.

Roxas didn't mind either, taking a breath and starting, "But then you told everyone what I said over text–"

"Yeah, Roxas, because I'm not a perfect translator. I don't know which is real anymore, what you say when you text or what you say when you act like you hate me." A frustrated hand swiped through his flaming red locks.

The blond hesitated, wincing. "Ax, I don't hate you, you  _know_ I don–"

"No, I really don't," Axel cut him off. His whole body was stiff, but it reminded Sora more like glass than stone.

It was silent for a beat, and Sora held his breath. Roxas broke the silence again, "What I said, at the pool, I– I was just embarrassed."

"I don't want to be your  _embarrassment_." The bitterness practically came off him in waves.

"Ugh,  _Axel,_  I'm saying I didn't mean it," Roxas said in exasperation, gesturing desperately, "and I'm sorry!"

Axel finally uncrossed his arms, the anger melting into a solemnity, a sadness, that Sora didn't really understand. But the redhead mumbled, "And I'm sorry for basically outing you. That wasn't cool of me. I just–" He sighed, and finally started  _talking_ , "I thought… I thought maybe you just needed me to test it out, like Sora."

_Wait,_ ** _what?_** Sora thought, his eyebrows instantly flitting together in confusion.

Roxas thought the same. "Like Sora– what?"

Axel wasted no time to explain, "He like, I told him he should kiss Riku since he was questioning and Sora  _wanted_ to but then he was like ' _then I'd be using him_ ' or whatever and I just thought that  _you_ –" He stopped again, a hand on his forehead like he had a headache. "I just. I don't want to be an experiment. Something you want to forget later."

It was silent again, but Sora was utterly frozen in place. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, his very skin clammy in a new sheen of panic. In his periphery, Riku was still too – Sora couldn't tell if he was watching Roxas and Axel now, or staring right at him. And either way, oh god,  _the mortification_.

Every nerve in Sora's body screamed that he should run.

But he  _couldn't_ and the ketchup-and-mustard duo kept talking. "Axel…" Roxas started, dismayed and doleful, " _That's_ what you thought? No, dude, I mean– I mean, yeah that's why I was so mad, but I'm not– you're not an  _experiment_."

Now Axel was blushing, looking away. His shoulders slouched like a yo-yo falling from its string, like a scroll laid bare and asking to be read. Sora would be more sympathetic if his mind weren't reeling on how to escape.

"Rox, it's fine if you're still questioning, or not sure, or whatever… I just can't keep pretending, is all," the redhead muttered, the edge in his voice dulled. When Roxas didn't respond right away, he continued in a rush, green eyes sad and calculating, "Look, we can just be friends, and I'm sorry–"

The blond cut him off again, growling and taking another step closer, grabbing Axel's hand, "I'm apologizing to  _you_ , idiot!" And then he grumbled, "Don't just decide we're 'just friends' without me… Unless that's what you want." Roxas looked away at that, frown set and stubborn, but he held the redhead's hand like it was the only thing holding him together – them together.

Axel met the frown with confusion, his glance bouncing between their hands and Roxas's face. "You know that's not what I want."

The affirmation was enough. A sly, secretive smile grew on Roxas's face: plotting. "Then, I'm done pretending too."

Their eyes met. Axel's jade eyes shone with a glimmer of hope. "Does that me–"

He didn't get to finish, because Roxas closed the distance between them, grabbed the collar of the redhead's shirt, and forcefully tugged him down. Axel gave no resistance, and with the most victorious smirk, Roxas kissed him. Axel's eyes widened, and all at once the fire in his eyes returned like fireworks – and he kissed back.

Sora's entire body was red hot, like he was baking in the sun. He finally couldn't watch more, but he absolutely could  _not_ look to the silveret still next to him. He stared at the floor, breathing so heavily he thought they might get caught. At this point, Sora would find that preferable. He was happy for them but– God, would Nami let them out already?!

Axel chuckled after a long moment of silence. Sora listened, but didn't look.

"What?" Roxas asked, clearly giddy by his voice.

"Your sister's back. I think Nami can see us through the window." Axel's voice was no better, a smile woven into every note his throat produced.

The blond scoffed. "Let her watch," he said, "Maybe she'll draw it."

Axel laughed again, so deep and sincere it  _hurt_ , and they probably kissed because it got quiet again. Sora wanted to  _die_.

But the redhead was right, because moments later the door burst open, just as loud as the first time. Xion's snickering was the first thing Sora heard, and he spared a peek through the shelves again. Namine and Xion peeked their heads through the door, a pair of mischievous grins on their faces.

"Ew, you guys are gross," Namine teased, making a puking face, "Stop already, I can't keep guarding this door."

"Guarding?!" Roxas exclaimed, but there was no anger in it at all. "Right, sure."

Axel shrugged, for once having nothing to say. He was still watching Roxas, who was up against his side and had no intention of leaving. He looked drunk.

Xion added in between giggles, "We gotta find Sora and Riku, too. They're missing."

"Ooooh~" Axel cooed, turning with Roxas towards the door.

Sora realized all at once:  _wait, we don't have to hide now!_ In his white-hot panic, he started to stand, about to call out to the others–

But Riku tugged him back, his hand enclosing over Sora's mouth before he could make a noise. Sora's back crashed into Riku, which nearly made him yelp – but knowing who it was shocked him into silence.

The others left as Sora's entire brain short-circuited, overwhelmed with the warmth behind him, the touch on his face, and the reality that Riku  _knew_  – though what he thought, he could only guess, and every option made him want to cry.

When the door closed again, unlocked this time, Riku let go slowly, maybe reluctantly, but Sora was too frazzled to notice. He still couldn't look at him.

"Uh, Sora–" he started softly, clearly uncertain.

"We sh-should go," Sora stammered. He started to stand again.

"Wait," Riku asked, standing too, "what was Axel talking about?"

Yep, it was time to run. Sora sprung up like a released spring, shoes screeching across the tile, pacing away as fast as he could without actually running. The door burst open when Sora went through it, and looking left and right, he saw that the group that just left had already disappeared. He went left, not noticing the door hadn't slammed shut yet, really no destination in mind at all.

He shouldn't have been so surprised when Riku caught his wrist only a few paces later, but he almost stumbled back from the reeling momentum. He didn't dare turn to see anger? Disgust? Abhorrence? On Riku's face. And then he felt like an idiot for trying to run. His thoughts were converging into a mental scream.

"Sora, whatever it is, we're cool, okay?" Riku said all in one breath, "You're still my best friend."

Time stopped, like all the blood frenzied in his veins decided to stop. Sora's body turned of it's own volition, his wrist not tugging away from the captor. Whatever Sora thought Riku felt, it melted away under his beseeching aqua gaze, a forward blaze. Under that spell, Sora almost told him everything right then and there.

_Whatever… it is…_ Sora's mind uselessly echoed.  _Best friend._ He wanted to cry again. Wanted to beg Riku to tell him again. Wanted to adjoin " _best friends_ " with new, stronger words. Wanted to cling and never let go.

Sora vaguely felt himself nod, slow and dumb. Riku exhaled in a rush, dropping his wrist and looked to the side, hands in pockets pulling too hard again. The sharp ice that'd been in Sora's chest melted into something warm and soft, and he savored it until it reached his fingertips and the roof of his mouth, so he could finally speak.

"I-I'll tell you later," Sora promised emphatically. He'd likely regret it later, but Riku always made him brave.

"Okay," he replied instantly. He didn't ask for a when. They stood there, feet awkwardly shuffling like their glances, dancing between each other. Finally Riku spoke again, rubbing the back of his head, "We should… go to the cabins. So they don't find us… find us here."

"Yea-yeah!" Sora squeaked, nodding enthusiastically, "You're right. Can't get caught."

The silveret nodded back, and they slowly walked back. They stayed a careful, safe distance away from each other – silent. Sora didn't know what that meant. He felt like, in just the ballpark of twenty minutes, everything had changed.

* * *

_Riku:_

Riku was placing Sora's strongest medal on a keyblade in  _Union Cross_  when Roxas groaned across from them. He spared a glance up from Sora's phone. "Did it kill you again?" Riku asked.

Roxas frowned, leaning his head back on Axel's arm slung around his shoulders. "Yeah. My medals are shit," he said. The redhead next to him snickered, and Riku kind of hated them for being so happy when just  _mere days ago_ they weren't on speaking terms.

Namine, sitting cross-legged next to Axel, had about as much sympathy as Axel; she giggled, too, checking her phone on one knee while she balanced her drawing pad on the other. Turned out she already had an account for the game, but had been playing solo the entire time. So she joined Riku's clan, and now was AFK-ing the raid boss they were all trying to defeat. To put it simply, she was OP as fuck.

"All your medals are  _donald_ and  _goofy_ , of course they're shit," she told her brother, smile impish and gleeful. It earned her a flick to her notepad; she stuck out her tongue in reply. Axel, in the middle, just looked content.

Essentially, Sora, Roxas, and Xion were being carried for the Lux and participation points, while Riku and Namine slaughtered the thing.

"Are you using the right keyblade?" Riku asked more considerately, simultaneously starting Sora's character in the quest. Sora, next to him, watched Riku's phone in eerie glee as Riku's character hit nearly a million damage points with each medal. The silveret was trying hard to keep his stares short, his nearness moderated.

"When do I get this strong?" he muttered, but Roxas was still focused on his untimely death.

"The blue one?" Roxas said, and Namine giggled again.

"Bro, blue is weak to green, use your red keyblade – the Snow White one, right?"

Roxas flit his eyebrows together, perhaps unhappy that his sister was a pro and he was not, and said, "Ugh, how am I supposed to know?"

"Lemme try," Axel said, lips in a slight pout. Riku already promised that as soon as he had a device that could run the app, Axel would be invited to the clan, but for now he was the odd man out. But Roxas handed his phone over with no quarrels, his smirk so casual and warm – the redhead took it with a small smile of his own. He shifted his arm so he could simultaneously keep Roxas in his grasp and hold the phone with two hands, but it wasn't the most comfortable of positions. With a blush and the most half-hearted glare ever, Roxas just scooted closer to him. Axel's grin was ear-to-ear, but he said nothing.

_Yep. I hate them_.

Sora bumped shoulders with him. Looking over – and relieved to do so– Xion too was watching Riku's character decimate bar after bar of the boss's health. But it was almost dead.

"What do I do when I kill it?" the brunet asked, eyes sparkling. His temple was  _literally_ a  _centimeter_  away from resting on Riku's shoulder. It was really counter-intuitive to giving Sora space – a careful balance he was trying to maintain since their closet lock-in. Riku glanced to Axel, remembering, wondering…  _Sora wanted to kiss me?_ God, every little thing Sora did heightened the urgency of Riku's questions and curiosity. He entertained for the briefest moment the wonderful idea that  _maybe_ he still  _wanted to_  but–

"It's dead!" Namine announced triumphantly. Riku high-fived her.

Axel tsk-d, "Mm, Rox died again. I give up."

Sighing roughly, Riku outstretched a hand. "You might just need better medals, then, but I'll try."

But before Axel could hand over the phone, Roxas interjected, "Nah – hey, Sora, Struggle with me."

Sora looked up with just his eyes. "Nani the fuck?"

Riku couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his throat. "Oh my god, Sora, you've been on Tumblr too long."

Xion agreed, bumping shoulders with the brunet as he giggled, "That's the most anime thing you've ever said, ever."

A bright, mischievous glance. "Fight me," he said, and Riku's heart did an almost-painful flip-flop.

The blond interjected, "Yeah, you too, Riku – I bet Sora will do it if you do." He was still talking about Struggle.

The predatory grin Roxas wore quickly bled into Axel's as they watched the brunet next to him, though Namine rolled her eyes. Sora instantly fidgeted, Riku's phone disappearing in Sora's lap, face turning pink. "UHM," he exclaimed.

Sora being flustered over him made Riku …heroic. "Rox, would you bet a lighter?" the silveret quipped. He tossed the object in question to Roxas from his jacket pocket, smile daringly matching the mischievous blond's.

Roxas caught it easily, smile replaced with wonderment when he looked at the thing in his hands. Axel raised his eyebrows.

"Isn't that mine?" he asked, head tilted almost to rest on Roxas's classically messy mop of hair.

Riku tried to hide his smugness, but Sora's grateful sigh next to him all but cemented it.

"Y-yeah," Roxas confirmed, but didn't move to give it to him.

Axel's face scrunched up in confusion. "Wait, why did he hand it to  _you_?"

When Roxas scowled, Namine giggled and nudged the redhead's knee, where her brother's phone lay with a dark screen. Simultaneously, the couple caught on and Rox tried to swipe the phone back but, Axel already had his hand on it. He clicked the side button, the device lit up, and there it was: the same lighter.

Roxas's face was arguably a deeper red than Sora's now: a premonition for the length of expletives and severity of threats Riku would be getting later, but he was having a hard time regretting it.

Axel, on the other hand, lit up like a Christmas tree, leaning in threateningly. "Aww, Roxy~" he lilted, "You can keep it, ya know–"

"Shut up," Roxas grumbled, crossing his arms but not leaning away. Xion and Sora giggled next to Riku – and that all amounted to victory. Mercifully, Axel relented with a ruffle of the blond's hair.

Once Roxas recovered enough – which was sooner than Riku had thought – he asked, "Where did you  _find_ it?"

_Oops,_ Riku thought, instantly glancing to Sora – which was also a mistake, because Sora was glancing back with the same nervousness, same guilt and uncertainty teetering on his features. And everyone saw, likely.

"Zexion," Riku lied cooly, tearing his eyes from Sora only after the fib was accepted in his blue eyes. The problem was, all Riku could think about was what Axel had said in that dark closet, Sora's panic, and  _when_ would Sora tell him, and  _what?_

"He gave them back to us," Sora confirmed in a rush, nodding too fast.

"Pfft," Axel huffed skeptically, "Sure. Sora, earlier you gave me a lighter Demyx took the  _first_ camp."

The brunet's responding giggle was decidedly nervous, somehow shifting  _closer_ to rub the back of his head and Riku purposely kept his eyes away.

Namine saved the day this time, waving her phone on the  _Union Cross_ party screen. "The bonus time is over, so we might as well Struggle, anyway," she said, the device disappearing into her pocket. She winked at Riku, and he had never felt so afraid of her. The last thing Riku needed was Namine shoving  _them_  into closets.

The group began standing from the floor, cellphones relocating to pockets and hands offering clumsy lifts up. Riku was still spaced-out thinking about Sora and Axel and Roxas that he didn't even think about his phone – until he felt it tap his knee right as he was lifting himself up.

Sora stopped him with a quick hand over his on the floor, but he retracted it just as quickly. His blue eyes seemed intent on a dresser by the time Riku turned to him, wearing the most berating expression since – oh  _god_  – Riku convinced him to go with him to Sonic forever ago. Biting lip and all.

"Your phone," Sora stammered, and Riku swore to every god he knew that if he didn't stop  _biting his lip he's going to do it_ ** _for_** _him–_

Sora held out his hand for his own phone, and Riku gave it without meeting his eyes, standing quickly after. As they followed the others out, Riku felt so far away – like he was walking down a tunnel, the destination unknown.

* * *

"You're scaring me," Axel taunted Riku as they sat on a outdoor tabletop. The pout in his voice was somehow still a tease.

"Hmm?" Riku replied, blinking back into existence. He'd been in a daze since he sat down.

"I thought you were done with the quiet thing," the redhead explained, crossing his arms. Riku couldn't tell if Axel was genuinely solemn over the fact or if he was pranking as usual.

It was too hot for this. Rolling his eyes, the silveret retorted, "I'm sulking because your boyfriend kicked my ass, give me a break."

He was only  _kind_  of joking. It was true he lost, but there was no denying Riku was out of it. Still, it amused Axel enough – he laughed so loud that Xion looked over from refereeing the Struggle match Sora and Roxas were engaged in.

"In your defense," Axel snickered, "He's on the varsity team of his high school."

Riku scowled again – like Roxas hadn't explained the entire sport like it was an art and sent at least ten Struggle champion memes in the group chat already. "I think I got that."

"But seriously, what's up?" Axel said, surprisingly levelheaded. But he was quick to recover from the gloom, "What'd Sora do?"

Riku  _wanted_ to glare, but couldn't.  _It's what Sora_ ** _didn't_** _do,_ he thought, tilting to stare at the redhead now. He couldn't tell Axel that him and Sora saw –and heard – everything in the supply closet. Which meant, he'd have to lie but he doubted Axel would overlook another.

So instead, he ignored the question: "Ax, what are you and Roxas going to do when camp ends?"

The redhead paused, eyes flitting away from Sora and Roxas clashing foam-padded stick-swords and to Riku's bored gaze. "Err," he began, grimacing to rub the back of his head, "Long distance, I guess? We both drive and turns out we only live like, an hour and a half apart, so…" He shrugged.

"Hm," Riku agreed, supportive, "That's a good idea. Weekends."

Snorting, the redhead added, "What, taking notes?" His jade eyes lazily followed Roxas, who blocked a downward swipe of Sora's play sword.

"Pfft, lacking the pen  _and_ paper."

"Dunno 'bout that," Axel said, grin a little  _too_ wide. He looked to the side of Riku suddenly. "Hey Nami!" he called, leaning past Riku, "Care to join us?"

The blonde was walking up, drawing pad and a freshly sharpened pencil and eraser in hand. "Scootch?" she asked the silveret.

The two boys gave her room, though it was a tight fit. Riku was sandwiched between the two most plotting people of the group, and suddenly he thought he might be in trouble.

"Whatcha talking about?" Nami asked, flipping her notebook to a vague sketch. With a lock of hair safely tucked behind her ear, her pencil set to work.

"He was asking advice from the love expert," Axel sang, stretching back.

"Wow, less than a week and you're an  _expert_?" Riku chided, the rest of the " _and for the record I was_ ** _not_** _asking for advice"_ on the tip of his tongue–

The blonde sighed. "Am I going to have to shove you two into a closet, too?" Axel nodded enthusiastically at the idea.

" _No_ ," Riku vehemently disagreed, his worst fears confirmed. He glared daggers between the two of them, but she giggled, waving a hand with the pencil tucked under her curled thumb.

"Just kidding, just kidding, sheesh!" she exclaimed, "It wouldn't work with you two anyway."

All at once, Riku suddenly realized just how much they were  _watching_. Maybe they weren't plotting –  _yet_  – but… If they were worried about  _Riku_  when they were equally if not more so friends with  _Sora_  then–

They were  _waiting_.

Axel agreed, Cheshire grin showing off white teeth, "Good luck."

Riku was speechless. He stared after Sora, who was laughing even after he fell, laughing like nothing at all was wrong in the entire world. Roxas sheepishly offered a hand to lift Sora up which he took. Sword resting across his shoulders, and hip cocked, the brunet didn't look like he lost at all. When Roxas grinned back, apparently satisfied, Sora swiveled toward the table.

"Rox won!" Sora cheered, yelling to compensate for distance, "Wielding a sword is harder than I thought." He swung the thing at the hilt and almost dropped it – Riku must have had a dumb smile on his face, because Axel nudged him.

"Whatever," Roxas shook his head with a smug smile, walking over with Xion and Sora, "You were really good for not having played before."

Sora shrugged, stopping in front of the table, "Maybe it's the karate?" Aqua met blue in a knowing moment, the faintest taste of poptarts a memory on his tongue. It filled Riku with a deep but foreign ache – like if Riku had to relive a memory over and over that wouldn't be a bad one to be stuck in.

"You do karate?" Xion asked in surprise. The silveret did his best to make himself present again.

The brunet laughed sheepishly, glancing shyly: "Black belt."

Everyone's eyes except Riku's widened, and a disjointed chorus of "what?!" rang across the group.  _He… he hadn't told them yet? It was just me?_ Sighing with a smile that helplessly wormed his way onto his face, Riku watched Sora bask in the attention of everyone, his crystalline eyes' fractals no longer fragile like glass but shining in impossible wonder.

* * *

_Sora:_

The first day Sora was brought to the dojo, he was shaking from head to toe – not just his hands. His new foster mom patted him on the head, trying to be comforting, but all Sora could think about – at the time – was what if he hurt someone, and what if everyone there hated him, and what if everyone could tell that the shaking wasn't all from his fear but in fact from some un-scratchable itch under his skin that he didn't really understand? Every nerve in his body screamed that the dojo held nothing but disaster for him within. But then–

But then, no force on earth could have compelled him to go against anything his foster parents desired of him.

With her hand in his – he gripped rather tight, because Sora remembered the way her wedding band dug in on the sides of his tiny fingers – he met the sensei who took one look at the shivering boy and smiled.

"He'll do great," he said, eyes knowing. "Come, you need to get changed."

He was right and Sora did. He dove into the martial art. At first, his fervor came from the acute thirst to remain wanted. If Sora was good at karate, his foster parents would still love him, right? If he was good at school, they'd want to keep him, right? If he was  _good_ … It was his mantra, but slowly, with each swing, each kick, each belt, karate was repurposed for himself.

The karategi became his armor – wearing it, he was the indoor warrior. He was good. He made friends and his foster parents kept him. He thought that was it. But  _now_ , he was a warrior, uniform or not, for Roxas's playful Struggle matches and…  _For poptarts,_ Sora thought, instantly swept away by the memory. He wondered how different it'd be if they fought like that  _now_. Sora would die. Totally die.

"…Sora, Soooora, hey, earth to Sora?" Kairi asked, mid-FaceTime.

"Oh, sorry, what?" Sora's smile goofy, the ghost of the sugary strawberry taste still haunting his tongue.

The redhead huffed, "Who won, you or Roxas?"

Sora giggled, "Roxas, of course. I'd never Struggled before, Kai."

"But you're a  _blackbelt_ ," she argued, as the others had.

"It's  _different,_ " he impressed upon her, "Karate literally means empty hands. Swords don't fall into that category."

"Ah, whatever, close enough," she argued. She glanced to something to the side off-camera, and almost smiled. Sora heard the giggle of Selphie – he must have crashed a sleepover. A small seed of guilt settled on his shoulders. "Listen, I gotta go," she said, "but think about it, okay?"

Sora nodded. This FaceTime was borne out of Sora's Axel-Spilled-The-Beans panic, and there were only two people in the world Sora wanted to turn to: Riku and Kairi. But clearly, one of them was part of the problem, especially  _chasing after him_ and calling him his  _best friend_ and–

He groaned, but didn't want to keep Kairi from her friend any longer. "I know. You're right," he said, _"_ Tell Selphie I said hi?"

"Of course I'm right. I'm always right," Kairi teased. In the background, he heard Selphie whine Kairi's name. The redhead smiled sheepishly. "I'll tell her. Anyway, snap me later, okay! Bye!"

And, abruptly, she was gone. Sora frowned; he thought he'd feel better after calling his best friend. He felt like the tick of a pocket watch was always just behind his ear; he felt Riku's patient waiting stare even when he wasn't there. And god, he hated when he wasn't there.

He flopped onto his bed with a long sigh, like the wooden beams of Xion's bunk above him had answers. They didn't; just year's worth of previous teens' scribbles of "you suck", "wuz here", and "send n00ds". Somehow it didn't motivate him to get up and find the others. He checked his phone since he had nothing better to do, remembering that he got a message while he and Kairi were talking.

It was in the family group chat; it'd been silent for awhile now. The last few messages were Leon complaining: " _Sora's using all the data"_ with his telltale rolling-eyes emojis. Their parents were on Sora's side: " _u have wifi in the dorms. Sora has to use the data._ "

Still, Sora replied about a week ago with " _sorry! I'll b better promise. Oh btw I used your hair kit mom."_ He'd finally sent the picture of him and Riku. That was where the conversation ended, until finally his mom replied today.

" _Omg! That's where my scissors went! You cut his hair? Looks great! He ur bf?_ " She said, ending with a cry-laughing and wink emoji.  _A wink emoji_.

Sora dropped his phone on his face, laughing after the air was done being caught in his throat. It was like she  _knew_ ; was it on Sora's face? Was it that obvious? A month ago, he would have arduously denied it, probably. He could, still. He could go home and pretend like nothing happened.  _Vegas_ , Sora thought, remembering what he said so long ago. It might be easier.

When he lifted his phone, his fingers worked with a giddy pace and hit the send button before he could second-guess himself. " _Lol I wish_ " was what he said, and his hands weren't even shaking. He thought about his karategi, folded neatly in his closet at home. And he remembered something else: his foster mother's wedding ring digging into his hand as they excitedly climbed the steps into the courthouse – Sora practically bounced two at a time to reach the top faster.

They left with matching names. It was  _never_ about being  _good_.

When he exited out of messages, he saw his phone background – one of Namine's sketches of him and Riku – and he rolled over… and screamed into his pillow. He was so  _doomed_  in the worst and best way.

When his phone buzzed he peeked at it from the side, barely lifting the phone off the cushion. It was Leon, outside the family chat, and he sent at least ten rows of nothing but rolling-eye emojis. Before Sora could type " _what?_ " he sent more: " _I can't believe you came out before me. Wtf._ " Again, another message appeared before Sora could reply: " _what r u? Gay, bi, something else?_ "

" _Uhhhhh_ ", Sora tapped into existence, " _idk? Wait r U gay?_ "

" _You dork. It's ok. Whats important is that I still know more than u._ "

_Pfft_ , Sora thought. Typical Leon, to avoid the question.

" _Thats wut u think_ ," Sora competitively replied.

" _Thats what I *know*,_ " Leon said. After a moment, when Sora was mid-message, he continued, " _I'll be home in a couple weeks for dad's bday. C u then._ "

" _C u!_ " Sora settled on, with a peace sign emoji and a college meme he'd been saving to send him.

So, Leon knew. His parents would know the next time they checked their phones. Kairi knew. All his friends here knew, more or less – except the one person who  _should_ know. He promised Riku he'd explain.

_Next time we're alone_ … Sora thought, staring at the door. He blushed at the thought.

He slipped his phone into his pocket and practically rolled off the bed to stand. He couldn't hide in his room any longer; the others would look for him soon.

* * *

_Riku:_

Demyx was midway his regular song routine at the nightly campfire when Sora finally walked up to the group. Riku heard the gravel crunch heralding his approach as Axel lowered his arm from a pebble throw contest. The redhead snickered next to him as Riku actively pretended he wasn't participating in said competition; as if he'd ever compete so childishly. But if Sora asked, Riku was winning.

But he didn't say anything about it as he sat next to the silveret, cutely crossing his legs on the wooden bench as he greeted the group. His whole body was turned toward him, and as much as Riku told himself  _toward_ ** _everyone_** _,_ he couldn't fool the fluttery feeling that settled in his chest.

"Where've you been? I was about to organize a search party," Riku teased, only slightly exaggerating.

"Pfft, more like I was about to sic Axel to find you," Roxas clarified, summarizing his adorable threats toward Riku from the past twenty minutes. Even Axel shook his head like the notion was ridiculous, but the content smile gave away he didn't mind at all.

Sora giggled, shaking his head. "I was just in the cabin, 's not like I was hiding."

"And that's what I told them!" the redhead added, gesturing his arm as if to say " _duh!_ "

Roxas didn't feel the need to admit his boyfriend was correct all along. "You nearly missed the best part," the blond told Sora, lips quirked, "We bullied Demyx into playing Mr. Brightside."

The brunet's eyes lit up in disbelief, and he gasped, "You did  _not_!" Excitedly, he flung his forearm across Riku's right shoulder and leaned, using him as a support so he could see Roxas. Somehow, Riku felt it along his spine for a brief moment, too. He blinked it away.

"We didn't  _bully_  him," Axel mended, "Just… poked him, a lot."

"Dunno about  _that_ ," Riku muttered, and Sora giggled in his ear. His side was warm.

"You should have seen it," Nami giggled, eyes still trained on her pen on a mostly white page. "I think it worked because Axel's taller than Dem."

"Dem?" Sora asked, one eyebrow quirked.

"He told us to call him that," Xion explained, smiling excitedly.

"I thought only Zemyx called him that," Sora wondered aloud, head tilted cutely to the side.

Namine looked up from her sketch book; Riku could practically see the stars in her eyes. "Are they…?"

Sora and Riku glanced at each other. The brunet was leaning farther in than strictly necessary and it made their faces rather close. Riku forgot the question. His gaze drifted down just below Sora's button nose, his eyes possessing a will of their own.

_Did he really… really want to kiss me? But didn't because–_

"May-maybe? I dunno," Sora sputtered. Riku flit his eyes up at the speed of lightening. The brunet was blushing, looking to the side, but he still clung to Riku's shoulder.

This suspense was killing him. Did Sora  _forget_? What if he never said anything? What if–

Namine made a gasp, but Xion interjected. "Shh, shh, everyone," Xion reprimanded with a finger to his lips and a smile, "Demyx's playing it!"

He was. The loud strumming of the guitar traveling over the mob of teenagers was unmistakable – and distracting enough. Sora finally detached himself from Riku to feel all his pockets, a panicked little shuffle that brought a small amused smile to Riku's lips. He felt himself breathe again. Sora's pockets were empty and Riku asked what the situation was with a curious look.

"My phone!" he exclaimed in surprise, "I must have left it in the cabin. D'you have yours?" His smile was hopeful and mischievous.

"Why do you need it?" Riku asked with suspicion.

Sora's wicked smile didn't help his case, but Riku was already retrieving the device from his pocket. "Snap Demyx playing! Then send it to me."

"Why me?" Like he didn't already know.

Sora didn't respond, but made a swipe at Riku's phone in his hand. He naturally held it away, keeping it below the seat so he wasn't waving it in the air. Riku knew he was smiling back now but didn't care. "Oi," he taunted, "You'll get my phone taken."

"You'd get it back," Sora huffed, still reaching around Riku to try to steal the phone. Considering how many times they'd played this game, and how Riku was still undefeated, he thought Sora would have tired of it by now. Not that he was going to complain.

"You'd owe me," Riku clarified, tossing the phone to his other hand much to the chagrin of the determined other.

Sora paused. "Owe you what?" he asked, their eyes meeting. That was… a new expression, strangely serious despite their game. Riku didn't know what it meant, but his heart pounded too loud to form thought.

When Riku didn't reply, still lost in whatever spell Sora had cast this time, the brunet wondered aloud, "Something like…" He tilted his head just a moment before he dived into Riku's arms, a sudden and swift embrace. It was hot outside but Sora was warmer. He didn't even feel his phone get snatched from his hand. He was more preoccupied with Sora's chin on his shoulder.

Just as quickly, it was over and Sora was unlocking his phone, face hidden as he stared down. Riku was stunned into silence, the closest he could get to being literally tongue-tied. He was hung up – a busy dial tone as he reeled.

"Just kidding," Sora said flatly, like he wasn't kidding at all. His stare at the phone was a little too pointed.

Riku looked straight ahead to Demyx.

The brunet kept the phone and alternated between giggling with Xion and snapping the song. By the second chorus Riku had begun to breathe again. He could go back to convincing himself that he was jumping to conclusions, that it was all in his head – that people didn't fall for someone like him. Either way, at this rate Riku's fate was heading toward death by accidental asphyxiation.

Demyx ended the song by shredding the last chord, smiling wide with eyes shut. "Thanks, guys!" he yelled, like they and all the other teens present were his concert audience. "Oh, and –" he placed his guitar down gently to the side and scrambled up, standing on the bench, "I have an announcement, everyone!"

The dull roar of conversation continued. Next to him, Riku could hear Namine, Roxas, and Axel whispering. But Demyx grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "Ahem. So, in three days we're holding our end-of-summer event, festival, thingy. There's fireworks, music, and stuff like that so… look forward to it," he finished lamely, laughing awkwardly.

"Fireworks!" Namine whispered excitedly to Roxas, who nodded with a smile.

"Fuck  _yes,_ " Axel whispered back. They weren't the only excited ones; the volume of the crowd had gone up several notches at this news.

"Oh! And!" Demyx yelled over the eruption of chatting, "We need a couple volunteers to help with set up. A-any takers?"

Everyone was distracted, and so no one raised their hands. But Sora had his eyes set on the crowd expectantly, scanning as he waited. "Wonder what they need help with?" the brunet murmured to Riku and Xion.

"Setting up?" Riku offered back, but didn't suggest they volunteer.

In retrospect, Riku realized he should have known the others wouldn't let this stand. But instead, he was completely caught off guard by an aggressive Roxas, who literally snatched the wrist Riku was leaning on and thrust it into the air  _for_  him.

He nearly fell off the bench. "Roxas, what–"

"Hey, Xion!" Sora exclaimed at the same time. A quick glance told him enough; just like him, Xion had lifted Sora's hand in the air, phone and all.

He didn't even have time to rip his hand back down before Demyx saw; it wasn't like there was anyone else to draw the camp admin's attention. Annoyed, Riku watched as relief flooded the sandy-blond's face, and he knew any protest would be utterly useless.

"Oh, sweet!" Demyx cheered, voice more targeted to them, "We'll fetch you guys when we need you; probably tomorrow."

A couple of other teens turned to look at the two of them, Roxas and Xion on either side holding Sora and his limp arms in the air. The silveret tsk-d.

"Yep, that was it," Demyx concluded, picking up his guitar, "You guys can keep talking now, sorry."

Riku glared at Roxas when his hand was released, but the prankster only glared back as if to say " _be grateful, asshole._ " It quickly dissolved into a smug, curled smile and victoriously crossed arms. Riku glanced to Axel, behind him, who shrugged with an unconvincing smile: "Don't look at me, it wasn't my idea."

"Thanks for volun-forcing us, assholes," Riku reproached them, crossing his arms back.

But Sora behind him giggled. "Oh, c'mon, it'll be fun – and Demyx was staring at us the whole time."

"We didn't have a choice in the first place," Riku conceded, sighing. An evil thought trickled through his mind:  _maybe if we are alone, Sora will tell me…_

"I'm glad you understand," Axel said, winking. After a pat on the back that felt oddly sincere, he continued, "I'm going to be  _pissed_ if you guys get to play with the fireworks, though."

* * *

_Sora:_

"Oh, it's you two? Why am I not surprised?" Larxene teased. They – "the volunteers" – had been called during lunch and so Sora and Riku met the blonde at the admin lounge as instructed. As soon as she saw it was them, she stopped blocking the door into the room with lit eyes.

Riku, just ahead of Sora, sighed and shook his head. Sora watched the way his silver hair swayed. "I don't think anyone's surprised," he commented, turning back to Sora to send a smile.

The brunet smiled back, but it didn't ease the nervousness that was bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

As they approached, Larxene strung the two of them into a forceful side hug, her arms hooked around their necks. "This is so perfect!" she sang, pulling them into the lounge with big, self-satisfied steps. Zexion was inside, packing boxes.

"What– what do you mean, Larxene?" Sora asked, trying not to trip from her hold on him. Sora could have sworn at the beginning of summer he was shorter than her but now her arms were pulling him down. He'd have to compare to Riku later.

"The fireworks! I was gonna have to drive you guys over, but  _now_ –"

"Oh, so you're not even gonna help us?" Riku reproached, clearly unsurprised as he quickly ascertained the situation. He ducked out of her stronghold, casually walking over to Zexion.

"It was  _supposed_ to be Demyx's job but he's gotta pick up the speakers for the live music today." She waved her hand, scowling at the absent blond.

"So you were never gonna do it at all," Zexion added himself to the conversation, not bothering to look up from the piece of paper in his hand – presumably a list.

"Wait, what are we doing with the fireworks?" Sora finally asked, escaping Larxene by ducking onto the couch.

"Setting them up," Zexion replied, "I have a map of sorts so you know where to place everything."

"Oh."  _Axel is gonna be so mad._

The sound of clinking metal flew through the air and ended with a loud  _shink_ in Riku's hand: Larxene's keys. "It's just the field across the road," the blonde said, her smile wide in satisfaction. She plopped down next to Sora on the couch, tucking her legs under her like a child. She grinned in self-satisfaction at Sora, like he was somehow her accomplice.

Zexion was unamused: "We've got to carry these boxes to your car, Larxene."

She groaned, laying across the cushion. "Fi~ine," she whined, but didn't move to get up.

Riku sent her such a  _brotherly_ grin – Sora knew the kind from Leon – and plopped a box in her lap. It wasn't the biggest but it was just enough to make it difficult to clamber up. She made a " _ble~h_ " sound.

"Is this what I should expect from you when we go home?" Riku asked, lifting another box without much effort.

_Home._ It was the first confirmation Sora had heard about the Larxene situation, and he almost gasped. But he couldn't hold back the beaming smile he sent to Riku, bounding up to retrieve a box, too. Riku shrugged like it was no big deal – but Sora didn't fail to catch the slightest pink on his cheeks. The brunet stuck his tongue out at him to let him know he wasn't fooled.

There were so many fireworks that both the backseat and the trunk were full with boxes when they finished loading up. In the end, only two people would have fit in the car, not that the trip was too far to walk; the field had an entrance right across from the parking lot from camp. Still, Sora was almost disappointed that they weren't going to  _their_  field. He didn't think to wonder if this entire time they had been encroaching on private property, but he still felt the ownership even with the realization.

When they clambered out of the car, Riku echoed Larxene's complaints as he stood next to the back wheel, voice high and strangely intoned: " _Ugh_ , I can't believe  _Xemnas_ got mud on my car." He laughed, popping the trunk.

"That's so  _mean_ ," Sora reproached, giggling anyway. "Just gonna let Xemnas take the blame?"

Riku nodded, still laughing at his (their) crime as he picked up a box full of fireworks. Sora couldn't stop watching; the bulge of his biceps pulling his shirt sleeves, the effortless way he lifted things, his sweet unbridled smile, his  _voice_ –

"Of course, the guy's an asshole," the silveret replied, laughter ending in chuckles. "I just can't believe she didn't realize we took her car."

"'Cause we're team stealth!" Sora encouraged, picking up a box too.

"You are  _not_ stealthy," the silveret replied, stacking boxes. The conviction was weak in his voice.

"Hater," Sora retorted. He was having so much fun watching Riku do the work that he sat on a newly made stack of boxes. "And anyway!" he exclaimed, suddenly remembering, "I snuck Larxene's keys to you, so, I can  _too_ be stealthy!"

Mid-box-lift, Riku paused. "Oh– oh yeah," he said after a moment. The box went to the ground, and in the next moment, he ruffled Sora's hair.

Sora didn't know what he did right, but he didn't care. He forgot to be self-conscious and shy in his response, his smile extending to full capacity feeling like the sun was inside his chest and not in space. In that moment, he decided Riku didn't need to know Larxene wasn't in her room when he borrowed the keys that night.

With the car unloaded, they set to work. Luckily for them, Zexion was nothing if not detailed; he had spots marked on a sheet of paper to place specific fireworks, measurements down to exact inches. They found a tape measure in one of the boxes.

They decided to start from near the car and work their way outward. Riku handed Sora the tape measure, which was a simple interaction, but they were almost chest to chest. Sora looked at Riku with wide eyes, wondering –  _wishing_ – desperately if it was intentional. "Hold the end," Riku said, voice low.

Sora did dumbly, instinctually. Was he hearing things? Riku walked away as if nothing was awry, and continued, "Tell me to stop when it says... uh, 120?"

Sora nodded absent-mindedly, "Sure." Every step Riku took made him a little less nervous, but he remembered his promise to Riku… Could he say it? What would he say? "S-stop," Sora said as instructed. Riku had long strides.

The silveret plopped a firework down onto the spot where the tape measure ended. Sora reeled in the device, finding kinship with it and his rebounding thoughts. He was resolved to tell Riku but now, alone, with the opportunity, Sora was tongue-tied and unsure. He thought all his hours agonizing over it would have produced a plan.

He walked over to help Riku set the firework correctly. It would have been quicker if Sora's hands were steady, but the silveret was, as always, patient. Once done, they started again, planting one after another until Zexion's plan was complete and their boxes were empty. It took awhile; long enough that Sora's shoulders felt hot and his legs ached. The sun was tired too, painting the sky in deep oranges and pretty yellows.

"That's the last one," Riku finally said, releasing a huff of tired breath.

"Thank _god_ ," the brunet complained, clambering up from sitting on the grass. "We  _really_ should have gotten paid for this. This is like, totally child labor."

Riku bumped shoulders with him, teasing, "Who's the kid here?"

Sora stuck his tongue out. He'd forgotten all about his initiative to confess in lieu of measurements and coordinating fireworks. They walked back to Larxene's car, Riku tossing the tape measure up and down in his hands. His cheeks were a little pink, Sora thought, though maybe it was waning sunlight. He was sweating just as much as Sora, his bangs swept oddly to the side from the perspiration. They should have brought sunscreen, but… the silveret was kind of cute this way.

Sora stared at the ground.

"Do you wanna head back, or…?" Riku asked when they got to the car. He threw his toy into an empty box. They still had to shove the boxes back into the car, but Riku's question hit Sora that it was now or never.

"Wait, I uh…" Sora looked up from his shoes, swallowing as he watched Riku flatten a box. The brunet picked up one too, hoping that keeping his hands occupied would help him talk. "Wanna hang out, just for a little bit?"

"Sure," Riku said – he sounded strangely… happy, "We should hang in the car though, we can run the A/C."

The relief was a tangible rush through his veins. "Ugh,  _yes_ , A/C," Sora replied. He prayed to every god he knew that he didn't look nervous.

With all the boxes collapsed and tucked into the trunk, they could relax in the backseat. It gave them more room; Sora needed all he could get. The silveret started the car and cranked the air conditioning as cold as it would go. As soon as the air met Sora's face, he sighed, stretching across the seat as much as he could to let the cold breeze wash over him.

This time, Riku chose the music, his face illuminated by his phone in the shade in the car. Blame the exhaustion, but Sora couldn't pull his eyes away from the intent concentration Riku had – he kept frowning like the choice was somehow significant. Until he tsk-d and tapped the screen.

What he settled on was something Sora didn't know. It sounded like a strange mix of Pierce the Veil and Chiodos, a hard indie rock. He liked it, whatever it was. When he couldn't conjure an artist or song title on his own, he asked, "What's this?"

"You don't know?" Riku asked, sounding mildly surprised, and smiled like he kept a secret, "Finally, proof I'm more emo than you."

"Pfft, nah," Sora argued for the sake of arguing, "I have a Peak Emo heart."

"I'm really not sure that's a  _good_ thing," Riku chuckled. He swiped his hair back, then looked at his arms. "Ah, shit, I think I sunburned."

"Lemme see?" Sora requested before he could think it through. But Riku held out his arms as evidence. The brunet couldn't help it – he took the invitation, scooting closer. He didn't want to touch the burn because it would hurt, so he carefully turned Riku's arms by his palms. Sora did his best not to blush from the contact.

Even in the dim light of the car, the pink hue was spread evenly across his clear skin. His arm hair was light, a grayer variation of his silver, providing no protection whatsoever. The silveret was always pale, despite their many days in the sun, so it was strange that today was the day he burned.

"The one day I don't wear my jacket," Riku sighed.

That would explain Sora's sudden fixation with the other's prowess in box-lifting.

"When we get back, I might have aloe vera?" Sora offered, "You should have worn sunscreen."

"Okay, mom," Riku quipped immediately, like he was waiting for Sora's comment, "But your cheeks are pink, too." He pointed, almost poking one of his cheeks.

"Ahaha, I– I don't think its that," the brunet replied uselessly, incriminating.

The  _look_  Riku gave: stunned, almost blank, eyes wide and bright. Sora felt like words were crawling like butterflies up his throat, finally vying for escape of their cage. He looked into his lap so he couldn't watch Riku's indiscernible face anymore, burying his hands there too.

When Riku stayed quiet, Sora couldn't ignore the urgency on the tip of his tongue; after all, they only had a few days left, and he promised Riku he'd tell him, and– He took a deep breath, gathering every ounce of courage he had.  _Fuck it._

"Hey, Riku," Sora started hesitantly, still looking anywhere but his favorite aqua. He saw Riku shift to face him more. Sora gulped. "About what Axel said… Everything he said was true. So I– I wanted to apologize, for like, not telling you myself. I thought– I thought if I told you, you wouldn't see me the same? Or like, we couldn't be best friends anymore? And I'm sorry for just, like, thinking about it without thinking of your feelings… I'm supposed to be your best friend but I was just thinking about me and," oh god, he was already rambling now, "I didn't want to use you, so yeah I–"

This sucked. He couldn't get to the part he wanted to say.

"Sora–"

There was something in the way he said his name that made him throttle his words, using one breath. "I–I don't want you to worry, I figured it out. You've been all I've been thinking about – and its been driving me crazy, not telling you –"

_I want to kiss you. I like you. I love you_.

He couldn't say it. The words were  _there_ , on the tip of his tongue; they hadn't died on his lips, but they were  _stuck_ there. But  _why?_ Why when–

A soft touch on his jaw snapped him out of his rapidly spiraling inner monologue. With some help of Riku's hand, tilting Sora's face up, he willed himself to look up. It didn't help; Sora's tongue was uselessly tied. Riku's eyes were ocean waves, the crystal clear kind at the height of day, comfortingly lapping the beach sand. And he was  _smiling_ , like the universe had given him something precious, like he held  _bliss_ in his hands. And when did they get so close? Was Sora leaned in, or Riku? The music covered up Sora's shallow, excited breath and his heart beat practically bursting from his chest, but surely Riku could feel the drum under his fingertips.

His hand was warm, and yet every place it touched left a tingling trail – across his jaw, his lower cheek. Sora was frozen in amazement. And then, Riku spoke, voice low and sweet and so  _different_ but  _wonderful_ : "You know–"

Sora felt it before he heard it; Riku's phone, buzzing in the cupholder up front. And then, a blaring, obnoxious ringtone  _blasted_ through the speakers, replacing the music. He nearly jumped out of his skin, it was so sudden – and Riku fared no better. He jolted, recoiling quickly and snatching the phone in one fluid movement. He only spared a millisecond to read the caller name and swiped to answer, perhaps to simply make the noise stop.

" _What_?" Riku barked into the device, exasperated.

Sora was still frozen in place, shaken, as Larx's voice emanated from the phone. " _Are you guys almost done? Your friends are threatening me!_ "

"Err… what?" This time it was more sincere. He sent Sora a bewildered glance and somehow that cured Sora's petrification. He blinked a couple times, amazed. He pinched his arm to ensure he wasn't dreaming. What had Riku… been about to do?

" _The– ugh, you know, your friends! They were asking where you are and when I told them, they demanded I tell them where I hid the bodies._ " There was a giggle in the background that reminded Sora of Xion.

Riku gazed to the front of the car, where a clock displayed the time. He sighed. "Yeah, we just finished. We'll…" another unsure glance, "We're heading back."

" _You didn't tell us you had family here, Riku!"_ Namine chirped through Larxene's phone.

" _Yeah, what gives?_ " Axel rejoined.

" _Is she your aunt?_ " It was Xion this time.

" _Hey, I'm not that old, you brat–"_

Riku sighed, "She's not– Ugh, listen guys, stop bullying her, we'll be back in a minute, okay?"

" _I'm setting a timer, Riku_ ," Roxas taunted.

"Hiiiiiii," Sora called, hoping the phone picked up his voice. It did because there was a chorus of "hi"s back.

Riku smirked, eyes glinting mischievously in the dim, red lights of the car. "Byyyyyye," he exaggerated like he was angry, then hung up. He wasn't actually upset though, because he huffed a short laugh at his snarky prank.

The music resumed at it's reasonable volume, but without the distracting call, Sora quickly felt the silence settle like a weight. This time Riku stuck his phone in his basketball shorts' pocket before turning to face him.

Sora grabbed the front passenger seat chair, about to pull himself up. "I guess we should… relocate, right–"

Riku acted like he hadn't heard, grabbing Sora's hand that was still on the backseat. "You were right, you should have told me yourself." He paused, and he was smiling strangely again, soft and tender. Sora was holding his breath. "So you didn't have to worry about it so long. You're not using me – I'm supposed to be helping you get over your fears, remember? So, no matter what  _else_  we are," –Sora's mind was running a million miles per hour but none of the thoughts were any human language– "we're still best friends – like I told you before. Promise."

Riku squeezed his hand with an honest shrug. "We really should go though."

Sora's brain was melted. Absolutely melted. "Oh–okay," was what Sora's mouth said, totally tangent to Sora himself.

He simply watched as Riku got up himself, only able to stand halfway due to the low ceiling of the car. He took Sora's initial idea, sliding close to him in the middle where the cup holders and middle compartment resided. He slid a knee on the black median, but before he clambered over to the driver's seat, he paused. Without saying anything else, he wrapped an arm around Sora – and Sora, having no real connection to his own limbs, fell into it, his cheek nestled next to Riku's collarbone. The silveret ruffled his hair again, his fingers lazy and lingering. But Sora didn't even have time to respond before Riku slipped past and settled into the driver's spot.

Sora had the biggest, dumbest smile on his face the rest of the entire night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is 10k and I'm so sorry lol. May's chapter may be late because I'm graduating and moving in with my fiance; things will be hectic but I'm going to try my darnedest to update on time! Anyway~
> 
> Thank you for reading! And to all who have commented or chatted with me on Tumblr: extra thank you! You guys have been a huge source of motivation and confidence! And as always, thanks to AmbitiousSkychild for basically beta-reading my nonsense and being the best bestie to ever best!
> 
> Hmu on tumblr if you like: kaiserin-astraia


	18. Fireworks

**Chapter 18: Fireworks**

* * *

_Riku:_

Though hours later, Riku could still feel Sora's soft, unruly hair in his fingers if he really thought about it – and really, he had no say in the matter at all. Sora's words – or maybe just  _Sora_ himself – carried him like a feather on the wind all through dinner and a needed shower after they returned from setting up the fireworks. In the shower, he didn't even feel the sting of the warm water against his arms, which were definitely sunburned. Luckily his jacket protected him from the chill of the night air as he walked back to his cabin, ready to crawl into bed and fantasize about what  _would_  have happened had Larxene not called.

_"But your cheeks are pink, too."_

_"Ahaha, I– I don't think its that."_

Riku smiled, hardly seeing the cabin hallway around him as he walked.  _Not that, huh?_ He thought, remembering how Sora's hands fidgeted in his lap when he said it, the way he looked everywhere but  _at him_ , shoulders pulled in shyly.

_"You've been all I've been thinking about – and its been driving me crazy, not telling you –"_

Unable to stop himself, Riku chuckled aloud, muttering to himself, "So honest…"

Sora had just  _stopped_ mid-sentence but Riku knew how to finish it. His fingers twitched in his jacket pockets, Sora's shocked, glittering, wide-eyed stare when Riku tilted his chin up so vivid in his mind. He pulled on his jacket pockets in real time, just so damn  _happy_ and  _frustrated_. God  _fucking_ damnit, Larxene.

_Next time_ , Riku decided, blithe and determined. He finally reached his cabin, and after a quick, soft glance to the room across the hall, went inside. Distracted by his daydreams, he was totally oblivious to Axel and Roxas inside.

The silveret had almost closed the door behind him before any of them noticed his unceremonious entrance. Two steps, a glance and then a double-take. A couple blinks were all it took to see them. Axel and Roxas were all tangled limbs across Roxas's bunk, hair redefining the word " _mused_ ", and lips animated in a kiss that didn't look gentle. Riku could see hands and they were clothed but now his arms weren't alone in their pink expanse.

Roxas broke their kiss – probably alerted by the sound of the door – and looked over, his flushed cheeks the only sign of embarrassment. "Oh shit, uh, Riku, we were – wait, why are  _you_  blushing?" he asked, voice airy like he were winded and barely present. Axel instantly face-palmed behind him and snickered.

"I was  _not_ prepared!" Riku defended himself, feeling like he just woke up from a falling dream.

Axel poked the blond's cheek and added, to Riku's defense, "Dude –  _you're_ blushing."

"Ugh, well,  _duh,_ " the blond replied, seemingly to both of them.

Riku rubbed his face with his hands, a tired exasperation and a meaningless effort to get the image of  _them_ out of his retinas. "I'm just gonna– go–," he said, backing up to the door.

Axel snickered again. "Thanks, dude. Hey, Sora's in our room, why don't you–"

"Nope, nope, I'm leaving, I'm gone, good _bye_ ," Riku growled, swiveling to face the door.

Roxas giggled under his breath, " _yeet._ "

With a roll of his eyes that neither of them saw, Riku promptly made his exit.

A huff of air left his chest once he made it outside. Frowning while he swiped a hand through his hair, he looked across the hall again to a familiar cabin door. He didn't  _want_ to listen to Axel's snarky suggestion, but it wasn't like Riku had anywhere else to go. And besides, he thought gently, any excuse to be near Sora was a good one.

Without another qualm, but still scoffing, he walked into Sora's cabin. Decidedly aware of his surroundings this time, he found the brunet and Xion chatting on the top bunk. Sora was rapidly scrolling on his phone like he was searching for something to show Xion. Without looking up from the device, he exclaimed, "Axel! Axel! I was just telling Xion– I gotta to tell you what happen–"

And then he looked up, and Riku nearly broke into laughter at Sora's face – he was like a startled cat, bristling as if his spiked hair could raise any higher.

"Riku!" His phone disappeared into his pocket. The brunet then leapt off Xion's bunk in one fluid movement, landing on his feet with unexpected grace. They met halfway. Sora's face was open and bright, like a kid's exuberant grin on Christmas morning. "I thought you were Axel, but this is just as good – better!"

Riku couldn't stop smiling even if he  _wanted_ to. "Oh?" he teased as he tilted his head, enjoying the sheepish giggle Sora returned with. He loved the way Sora's words tumbled out so accidental and free; artless and yet, a masterpiece.

Xion, watching, sent Riku a questioning look. "Where  _is_ Axel?" he asked, one eyebrow quirked.

The silveret had the decency to answer carefully: "He's… with Roxas."

"Ooooh," Xion and Sora echoed.

Riku caught himself staring just below Sora's nose, remembering only hours prior and how  _close_ they had been and– God, only Sora could make bitten lips look so beautiful, a deep pink that he couldn't decide if he'd rather touch or kiss first.

"Oh!" Sora exclaimed, breaking Riku's stare, "Shit, I totally forgot – aloe vera for your arms!"

Riku didn't know how he connected Roxas and Axel with Riku's sunburnt arms, but he was ready to roll with it. He was too busy berating himself to get it together. The silveret nodded dumbly, watching Sora scramble to his suitcase to retrieve the bottle.

"What  _don't_  you have, Sora?" Xion finally asked, wonder and a hint of a laugh in his tone.

"Uh– the basic human necessities of shampoo and conditioner. Until I stole some from Riku," came the muffled reply, tanned hands destroying any order his suitcase had before.

"Why didn't you bring shampoo and conditioner…?"

Riku answered for him, "It's a long story. And you didn't tell me you stole my shit." He crossed his arms as if he were chiding, but his smirk gave the tease away.

"You didn't notice so no harm done, right?" the brunet sang. Riku acquiesced that he had a point – and even worse, it was cute.

Xion hummed doubtfully, but seemed satisfied. Bored, he brought out his phone and quickly became immersed in it. Meanwhile, Sora clambered onto his own bunk and pat the seat next to him as an invitation. Riku remembered forever ago when Sora asked him which side of the bed he wanted, voice small and unsure. They were  _bold_ now, and yet somehow more cautious. A new kind of shyness that made Riku feel light. But then he remembered Axel and Roxas across the hall and felt his face match his arms again.  _Goddamnit._  He felt warm. Gingerly sitting across from the bubbly brunet, he wondered if maybe his sunburn was from over-exposure to Sora and not the sun.

After a moment of silence, Sora excitedly demanded, "Take off your jacket."

One blink. "Uh, what?"

Sora blushed, but waved the bottle. "For your arms."

"Oh, right," he replied lamely. He obeyed and pretended like Sora wasn't blatantly staring, stripping the garment off carefully around the burn. Goosebumps spread across his arms and shoulders in a wave from the cool air, a tight, uncomfortable sensation. Instantly, Sora reached out and held his hand by the palm to hold up a burned arm, just like in the car, but this time trailed his fingers gingerly across the forearm. That… didn't help.

"Cold?" Sora asked, soft like it was a secret.

Riku reacted without thinking, meeting the other's eyes knowingly. "I don't think it's that."

Sora processed his own words and gasped, pink spreading like a blooming flower. "That's!" He stopped himself, his lips set in a bewildered line. Riku's lips were twitching against an oncoming smile, cursing Larxene, and Xion up above them, and really anyone within a mile radius of them–

Something cold met Riku's skin, and he hissed. He realized that Sora had busied himself with filling his hands with aloe vera and had taken it upon himself to put it on Riku himself – out of revenge or something else, at this point he wasn't sure. "Okay, that – that's actually super cold," Riku complained, but not without some humor in his tone.

"My bad," the brunet replied, too chipper to be remorseful. It was fine, because it wasn't Sora's fault at all; Riku should have worn sunscreen. But being so rewarded like this, he didn't regret it at all. Riku rolled his shoulders, focusing on the warmth of Sora's hand on his arm instead. Quickly, it began to burn.

"I deserve it," Riku said.

The brunet switched arms, still careful in where he touched. Riku stared longingly at their hands, imagining intertwining their fingers instead of this cautious charade. They were treading uncharted territory, a tightrope high above ground. He was anxious to cross the distance already.

"I feel like celery," the silveret said when Sora began retracting his hands, inspecting his arms and their sheen of plant goop.

"That," Sora giggled sweetly, withdrawing slowly, reluctantly, "makes no sense."

Before Riku could reply, the door opened again – this time, it actually  _was_ Axel. Content like a cat that had just napped in the sun, he sauntered in, still chuckling at some joke no one in the room understood. "I got kicked out," he explained, proud of the fact, "Zexion's gonna kick you out, too, Riku, so."

Xion coughed a laugh. "You gave him a heart attack, didn't you?"

Axel shrugged, climbing up and plopping himself down onto his bed. "He didn't knock."

Riku scoffed at the redhead, but slid off Sora's bunk; as much he didn't want to leave his side, he didn't want to deal with Zexion either. Looking behind him, he smiled at the still-grinning brunet. "Thanks," he said.

"Anytime," Sora bubbled.

Xion groaned, complaining, "Leave already, you're all making me wanna puke." He glared at Riku and Axel, though it came off more like a pout.

Riku was glad he was faced away from them as he left, because he had to grin at that.

* * *

Riku was jarred awake by an ear-piercing, screeching alarm.

"Argh,  _fuck_ , what the–" Roxas cried across the room, holding his head. He bumped his forehead across the wooden beams above him on his way up.

Riku sat up too, but slower, the ringing so loud he was having a hard time thinking past his heart  _pounding_ in his chest. Blinking into existence, he pinpoint the deafening sound to the smoke detector on the ceiling, a small red light flashing angrily on the device. Something triggered the fire alarms. Instinct took the reins on his body after that, the sheets flying off of him as he leapt from bed. He swiped his phone from its charger before confronting Roxas. The blonde was still sputtering in confusion in his bed, so in a muddled sleep-filled voice, the silveret said, "Hey, grab your phone. We gotta go."

Roxas rubbed his forehead and growled over the blaring siren, "What?"

Riku didn't smell smoke, but he decided it was better safe than sorry. Spotting Roxas's phone next to his pillow, he grabbed it then Roxas's hand. He dragged them out of the room; Rox gave much less resistance than Riku thought. As the door shut behind them, they met Axel who was grumbling in the doorway of his and the others' cabin.

Roxas finally seemed to catch up to the situation, and Riku let go of him. "Ax, stop standing in the doorway, dumbass," the blond said, pointing up to the flickering light in the hall, "Fire alarm?"

The redhead shrugged in tired exasperation. "There's no fire; we'd smell it."

"We should follow the crowd," Riku suggested, glancing inside the cabin for the other two. Roxas outstretched his hand wordlessly, which the silveret understood and handed back his phone.

"Thanks," Rox mumbled, before moving to stand closer to his boyfriend.

"What's going on?" Sora asked, appearing in the doorway. He was clearly half-awake, eyes lidded and his usual energy subdued despite the noise. Ugh, Riku knew it wasn't the time for it – but  _god_ , Sora was adorable.

"Let's find Nami," Roxas said determinedly.

"She's," Xion yawned, sliding past Sora, "probably following everyone else out to the front."

They all nodded and began following the horde of teens filing out of the cabins. Axel was the only one who seemed to have retained character. Arms wrapped around Roxas's shoulders, Riku heard him whine to the blond, "Babe, carry me."

"Are you kidding me? You're too–" Roxas grunted, trying to drag him, "heavy!" A short scrape of sandals across the wooden floor. "And tall!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xion sigh and shake his head. Riku had to agree.

They grouped in front of the admin buildings and cafeteria, all pjs and yawns and deep, sleepy murmurs. Axel's shenanigans made Roxas and him last to arrive, but Riku was distracted from them. He was alert now, scanning the crowd for Xemnas, Zexion, Demyx, or Larxene. He couldn't see any of them, though the dark night didn't help. He checked his phone on the off-chance Larxene texted him, but there was nothing. He didn't have to think twice. "I'll be right back, guys," Riku told the group, turning to walk toward Larxene's room.

He didn't get far before the cafeteria doors burst open. Smoke poured out in one dense cloud, and Riku immediately pivoted. Through the haze a feminine silhouette emerged, her familiar voice stringing together every curse in the English dictionary. Larxene. With a violent kick, she locked the door open against the outside wall, a fire extinguisher in hand. Riku jogged up to her in a few strides.

"What's going on?" Riku asked, checking her by sight for injury. He felt his anxiety ease when he found none, and her frenzied song of expletives continued.

"Fucking goddamn Demyx blew an amp and it caught on fire," she spat, pushing her unkept hair back. " _Idiot_."

Okay, now Riku was trying really hard not to laugh. "He– he did what?"

The sandy-blonde appeared too out of the disappearing fog, holding a crispy amp in his arms like it were a child. It was covered in a white foam, some dripping to the ground with each step. His bottom lip jut out like a whining pup, tears at the edges of his eyes. "Larx _eeeeee_ ne, why did you spray it? Now I'll never be able to fix it."

"It was on  _fire_ , Dem, you'd have to get a new one anyway," Zexion said calmly from behind him. "It appears you set off the fire alarm, too."

"Yeah, thanks for that," Riku added insult to injury. "It's like, 3 am."

"Ugh," Larxene grumbled next to him. Holding back a smirk was extremely difficult.

"My baby…" Demyx whimpered. Zexion pursed his lips, and tugged on the blond's arm. They stumbled off in the direction of the garbage bins, presumably where the amp corpse would be dropped off.

Larxene sighed, fingers daintily pressed to her forehead. "Ri, I gotta go turn off these damn alarms, or I'm going to  _lose_  it. Would you two put this back?" She handed him the fire extinguisher.

"Two?" he asked, looking over his shoulder in the direction of her stare. Of course, Sora was joining the party.

"Need help?" he asked, standing next to Riku. By his voice, he was actually awake now. Larxene made her exit wordlessly, her steps a beeline for the admin building without so much as even a wave.

"Just gotta put this up," Riku replied. "Wanna come?"

"Of course," Sora said, nodding cutely, "Buddy system!"

_Buddy system_ , Riku's mind uselessly echoed.

They walked close back into the cafeteria, Riku adjusting the fire extinguisher to rest on the side away from Sora. The smoke had already cleared because the fire had been small and it was a big space, but Sora coughed next to him. Riku looked over. With the lights on and the panic subsided, he suddenly noticed Sora's pajamas: red and black plaid pants, a loose black tank top, and… Was that…?

"That my jacket?" Riku commented, voice light and carefully nonchalant. It had to be – he suddenly realized he forgot it earlier on Sora's bed. The black hoodie was a little big on Sora, the sleeves baggy on his arms, the hem past his hips even though it was half-zipped.

Sora noticeably flinched beside him. "Oh!" he looked down at himself, his hands in  _Riku's_ pockets pulling, "Ye-yeah, I was, uh… I was cold. And I just. Fell… asleep in it. I can– I can give it back–"

He started shrugging out of it, but Riku stopped him. "Nah, don't worry about it." Riku loved Sora's lies.

The brunet paused, biting his lip. They had stalled in front of the door to the kitchen, where inside Riku vaguely remembered the spot for the extinguisher he still carried. "Keep it," Riku reinforced fondly, unable to pull his gaze away from Sora who was hiding his fidgeting hands in  _Riku's sleeves_ and had  _slept_ in  _his_ jacket.

He acted without thinking. "Besides…" With a tilt of his head, he tugged one of the draw strings on the hood, causing it to rebound and tap Sora's cheek.

"Hey!–"

"It's cute," Was what Riku thought, and may have said out loud.

Sora went completely still, his mouth open in a silent, small gasp – a deer in the headlights. Shit, he definitely said it out loud. Riku decided now would be a good time to get rid of the (heavy) fire extinguisher, before he kissed him at three in the goddamn morning in a smoky cafeteria.

When he returned, the brunet was rocking on his heels, a wide grin a permanent fixture complementing the soft pink on his cheeks. It was contagious. "Welcome back," Sora greeted. They held another conversation with just a glance – he was letting Riku get away with his comment.

"Let's go back so we can  _sleep_ ," the silveret said warmly.

"Yeah, I'm tired!" he replied animatedly, walking back with little jumps in every other step. Riku snuck glances to Sora in  _his jacket_ every chance he got.

He was so glad Demyx caught his amp on fire.

When they returned, the others were where they left them, standing with the rest of the campers. Though there was no danger, they were waiting for some adult to tell them to go back. That adult was Zexion and a sniffling Demyx following behind.

"The cabins are safe, everyone, so go inside already. Lights out," he called over the crowd, annoyed.

"What took them so long…" Axel mumbled before breaking into a yawn.

But they listened to instructions just like everyone else, shuffling back into their cabins. Axel and Roxas kissed before they went into their respective rooms – and Riku caught Sora looking at him.

When Riku fell back asleep that night, he didn't dream at all. He didn't need to.

* * *

_Sora:_

Sora woke up… warm. Through the haze of half-sleep, all he could sense was a soft, all encompassing cocoon around him and the faintest cool, earthy scent somehow both near and faraway. He instinctually drew his arms in closer; the familiar musk grew stronger for a moment. Though normally a light sleeper, Sora struggled to muster the will to open his eyes, even after Axel's voice reached his ears.

"Sor~a… hey, Sora, the line's gonna be long if you don't get up now," the redhead called.

The brunet made a weak groan in reply, tilting his face further into the pillow. But the mention of the breakfast line made him think of food, and his brain was quick to latch onto the concept. Whatever dream he was having moments before was taken over with thoughts of toast and apples and Lucky Charms.

He heard Xion by the doorway. "Maybe we should get Riku to wake up Sleeping Beauty?"

Sora instantly opened his eyes and lifted his head to glare at the proudly smirking raven haired teen, who laughed when their eyes met.

"I can't believe that actually worked."

"I can," Axel added, amused.

Well, he was awake now. Sora sat up slowly, sulking with a pout until he yawned. The rude awakening at 3 am the night before was not treating him kindly.

"We're gonna go, Sora," the redhead said, more informing that threatening.

But he didn't want them to leave him behind, so he forced himself out of bed. "Wait just a sec," the brunet mumbled, only sparing a moment to grab his phone and replace his plaid pajama pants with basketball shorts.

Axel was already walking ahead when Sora made it to the door, but he didn't feel the urgency to try to catch up. Xion had waited for him. They walked together as he compelled the fog in his mind to disappear. They were quiet until they had almost left the hall.

"Hey, that's new," the raven-haired teen commented with interest, and Sora looked up, "Where'd you get the jacket? I've never seen you wear it."

The brunet looked down.  _Oh_.

_It's cute_ , Sora remembered suddenly. He felt warm again, expanding from his chest out to his fingertips. He brought the jacket closer in on himself; he could still vaguely smell the fresh, woodsy body spray Riku used. He was probably smiling now. He could still go back, take off the jacket but – well the cabin was so  _far,_ he lied to himself.

"It was a… gift," Sora said carefully. He didn't really intend on  _keeping_ it forever, but it was evidence. It was hope.

"Ooooh," Xion said in understanding, smiling sweetly at the brunet. "Nice."

It was nice.

The smell of food and the smalltalk with Xion in the cafeteria line made him a little more awake. Trays in hand, they walked to the table that the others were already sitting at. As he approached, Roxas made a strange face toward him.

"What?" Sora asked, head tilted. Riku glanced back at him, but his gaze lingered like he was surprised. He smiled, eyes softening the way chocolate melted. Sora smiled back instinctually, a hint of confusion in the quirk of his lips.

Roxas didn't answer as Sora sat down in between Riku and Xion, but instead turned to Axel. "Wow, zero out of ten boyfriend. Where's  _your_  jacket?" he said, dropping his chin into his hand as he peered at the redhead in scrutiny.

Sora blinked twice.  _Oh_ , he realized way too late,  _they noticed, too._ In truth, he had already forgotten he was wearing it.

"Excuse me?" Axel immediately supplied, matching the blond's expression, "It's fucking  _hot_ outside, I didn't bring my jacket."

"Oh?" Roxas lilted competitively, tilting his head on the hand. A smirk was fighting its way onto his face, "That's no excuse."

His sister intervened, rolling her eyes. "You could just swap shirts, but go off, I guess."

Axel looked at Roxas, then lower to his shirt, and laughed. "That would  _not_ work–"

"So, you were cold, huh?" Riku whispered lowly to him, distracting Sora from the debate around them.

He tried to suppress the smile tugging at his lips, a lie easily leaving them, "Yep. Still cold." His hands, hidden in Riku's long sleeves, fiddled like a child with a toy.

"You're sweating."

"It's a cold sweat."

Riku hummed, a satisfied smile on his lips. Sora knew this was a game he was quickly losing, but he didn't mind. "I–I'll give it back, before we leave," he replied determinedly, adding mentally,  _when I tell you – I'll get it right, this time._

He hoped they'd end up alone again, before tomorrow.

The next time Sora tuned into the reality around him, the hype over Sora's attire – and Axel's lack thereof – had passed. Instead in between bites of her apple, Namine asked, "So… what are we doing today? Wasn't today the party day or whatever?"

Riku replied, "Yeah. Better be good, considering we were woken up at 3 am for it." His tone was much less grumpy than Sora would have thought. Their eyes met again.

"Seriously," Xion agreed, frowning.

"Doesn't matter anyway, you'll be drawing– wait," Roxas interjected, looking toward his sister, "Where's your drawing pad?"

"Oh, I…" she hesitated, smiling sheepishly, "I left it. You know, since today's the last day."

Sora frowned, "Aww, that's too sad, Namine." He felt like sand was running through his fingers like an hourglass. He didn't want to have to say goodbye.

The blonde blushed. "Sorry, I just… you guys are awesome. I'm going to miss this."

Everyone except her brother softened in consideration at that. "I'm going to miss you  _so_  much, Nami," Roxas teased, throwing a plastic spoon at her.

"Who are you? Axel, have you ever seen this man in your life?" Namine retorted, arms crossed and gaze pointed away.

The redhead just looked between the two of them like he was  _betrayed_. "Okay no matter what I say, I'm in trouble here, so Sora, I'm going to miss you so fucking much," he said, ignoring Roxas's outraged face.

"Don't drag me into this!" Sora laughed. Riku even glared at the redhead, which inexplicably made the brunet giggle harder.

Roxas announced, "I'm only going to miss Riku and Xion, everyone else is dead to me." The smile on his face gave away the lie, but Axel put a hand over his heart like he was fatally wounded.

Riku rolled his eyes. "At least someone will."

"I will!–" Sora whirled toward the silveret, catching himself at the very last second, "Miss everyone… but like… we have today still? So, we should just have fun?" In the back of his mind, he wondered if he could follow his own advice.

Xion snorted, and Sora felt caught. "I'm pretty sure they're just keeping all the courts open. Demyx and Zexion were carrying out equipment when we were walking in here." He sent Sora a look that clearly told him that he should have noticed.

"We should play soccer, then," Namine said sweetly, eyes sparkling, "that's where we started!" She was already past pretending to be angry, because the twins grinned at each other.

"If someone trips you this time, we'll all transform into a giant mech and  _kill them_ ," the redhead agreed, stabbing the table with a finger as if this were a serious battle strategy. Sora found himself nodding along despite the ridiculousness of the suggestion.

"Where did the  _mech_  come from?" Riku asked, shaking his head.

"I was thinking of the Power Rangers meme," he shrugged.

"Well, thanks," Namine said, shaking her head, "I'll hold you to that, transformer."

Namine was right, though; everything spiraled together from the soccer game. Would Riku and Sora have become friends had that game gone differently? If he could go back in time, he'd pick this sequence of events over any timeline that didn't include Riku. It was strange, because in that way, he was almost  _grateful_ to Xehan, Isa, and Braig. Almost.

"We should go before someone takes the field," Xion interrupted, pointing to the cafeteria doors. People were starting to trickle out, done eating and ready to play the day away.

Riku nodded. "I won't be scorekeeper this time," he said, smirking in such a way it made Sora's heart flutter, "What are the teams?"

"We'll figure it out when we get there," Axel said, standing too with a Cheshire smirk. "But you're on."

* * *

To Sora and Namine's expectation and relief, no one harassed her except her brother and Riku. Turned out the silveret was great at long-distance goal shots and Namine could only jump so far. Still, the game was a tie; Axel was just as shitty of a goalie. But playing with everyone, including Riku now, made it complete. Sora felt like he blinked and the sun had teleported across the sky, toying with them. It was their stomachs that eventually led them to end their poorly tracked tournament; when they finally checked the time, lunch had already passed.

As they entered the cafeteria for the second time that day, Sora sighed happily as a gust of cool air washed over his hot, damp skin. The door behind him closed with a satisfying  _woosh_ , and he followed the group as they made a lethargic parade to the front of the open room. The kitchen had already stopped serving – they'd have to invade the pantry again.

"Why do we ever go outside?" Xion groaned. Sora nodded sympathetically, huffing as his body adjusted. He was glad he'd changed before they played, because his t-shirt was soaked in sweat.

"Because we had nothing else to do," Riku answered the rhetorical question.

"After this…" Axel said, his voice a sigh, "I vote we  _nap_."

"How old are you?" Namine quipped, chipper despite her flushed, ruddy cheeks.

The redhead held up four fingers. "This many." The twins both snorted in amusement.

"We can't  _sleep_!" Sora said, pointing, "They are setting up the fun stuff." They followed the direction of his finger, simultaneously pivoting.

"What  _is_ that?" Xion wondered aloud.

Sora began to follow, but lagged as the others walked forward, a sudden, strange melancholy settling as the heat of their sport wore off. He felt it briefly at breakfast, too. There was a clock high on the wall to the side, whose hands leaned toward three. It struck him. In twenty four hours or less, he'd be on a highway, driving away from them; from his friends, from Riku. Did the others realize this, too?

He shook his head; how could he be sad when surrounded by everyone and their enthusiasm? Sora's steps were a little heavier as he caught up to the others, but he took them. He sidled next to Riku, the silveret's calm assuaging him.

"Gonna blow another amp?" Roxas asked, hands in pockets as he observed.

Next to the barren lunch line stood Demyx, humming happily to himself behind a plastic table. He was plugging in various cords to big, clunky, black electronics, all stacked on top of one another in a tower of mystery. Despite his hysterics the night before, he was content now like it hadn't happened at all. At least, until Roxas spoke.

"Ah!" Demyx screamed in surprise, recoiling far back as if he'd been struck, "Oh, gees, it's just  _you_ guys. Geez, don't sneak up on me like that." He put a hand on his heart, breathing exaggeratedly hard. Next to Sora, Riku sighed. Sora let himself laugh, willing himself to forget the heaviness in his heart.

"They really weren't sneaking," Zexion corrected flatly. It took a moment for Sora to find him – he was cross-legged on the floor in front of a huge vertical box with flashy colors and text all across it. On the back, there was an unscrewed grate where wires poured out, several in his hand as he untangled them.

Xion gasped. "Is that – is that a photo booth?"

"Yes," Zexion said. He hadn't bothered to look up.

"Oh my god, that'll be so much fun!" Namine said to Xion, shaking her hands close to her chest. "We  _gotta_ do that!" Sora smiled and nodded at the blonde, her excitement contagious.

"Well, come back in like… two hours," Larxene cut in, emerging suddenly from the pantry doors. They turned to watch her approach Zexion with a huge box in her arms. It was overflowing with costume paraphernalia: neon boas, masks, hats, glasses, and even wigs. Sora's eyes lit up, bouncing on his heels in anticipation.

"We haven't eaten yet," Riku argued, eyes attentively watching the blonde.

Zexion tsk-d. "Abusing your power till the end, I see."

Riku shrugged apathetically, while Sora sheepishly laughed. Demyx looked up from his music equipment for a moment to suggest, "Hey, there's leftover pizza if you guys wa–"

"No, that's  _my_ pizza!" Larxene interrupted, glaring sharply. She scoffed. "Just raid the pantry and get out of our way."

"Don't tell anyone else, either," Zexion added. "Not that it matters much now," he muttered.

"That's permission enough for me," Axel said, shrugging with a hungry grin.

They headed toward the pantry doors but Sora hesitated one more time, gazing back at the busy adults. He still felt the clock on the wall. He remembered their margarita party and sonic runs. It was their secret – their bond. "Thanks, guys," he said, for much more than access to the pantry and for lack of a better time to say so. Demyx and Larxene sent quick smiles and waves in return; Sora hoped they knew he meant it. Then, he rushed to meet the others, who were already calling dibs on assorted snacks.

Several bags of Doritos, fruit snacks, and cups of dry Lucky Charms later, their stomachs were satisfied. Sora forgot his melancholy by counting how many marshmallows the others had to pick out of his hair. By the time they left, the cafeteria had become a dull roar of chatting teens and loud, echoing music. Namine was anxious to get to the photo booth before the line got too long, and so they stood, waiting for the group ahead of them to pick their accessories and take their pictures.

"Demyx is having fun," Roxas said. They watched the sandy-blond DJ from the table he had set up earlier, the long strands of his pompadour haircut arching as he bopped to the beat. With the cafeteria lights dimmed, the music playing, and the other campers smiling freely, the party vibe was ramping and settling on Sora's nerves like electricity.

"We could dance after this," the brunet suggested hopefully.

Axel snickered, watching too. "I only agree because I can't wait to see how  _bad_  you guys are."

Sora looked to Riku, who crossed his arms. "I don't even know what's playing," he said, frowning.

He remembered Riku's playlists. Giggling, he elbowed the sulking silveret. "Too good for pop?" he asked.

He flipped a longer lock of silver hair back dramatically. "Yes," he said, playing along. He grinned when Sora rolled his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure I've never danced in my life," Namine admitted. She put a peace sign over one eye and slid it to the side, and then did the same to her other eye. "That– hehe, that's all the dance moves I have."

"Impressive," Roxas said sarcastically.

"Can  _you_  dance?" Xion asked him.

When Roxas scowled and crossed his arms, Axel barked a laugh. "I think you are missing the point – it's more fun to be hilariously bad."

"I'd die of embarrassment," Xion sheepishly rejected him.

"Vetoed," Riku agreed decisively. Roxas nodded, but Namine stuck her tongue out at her brother and Xion.

"Awww," Sora said, pouting, "you guys are zero fun." But really, he was relieved at the sight of their smiles. They were together, and that was all that mattered.

Then, a group of costumed teens approached the prop box, pictures in hand. One said to them, "We're done, so you guys can go."

"Sweet!" Namine said, practically bouncing in place in anticipation. Sora joined her.

The other teens stripped themselves of their accessories and left, chatting amongst each other. It only took a moment of their absence for Namine, Sora, and Axel to crowd around on the bin. Eyes hungry and plotting, their hands instantly dove into the box, mischievous grins plastered across their faces.

"Oh,  _fuck_ yeah," Axel cheered. The redhead pulled out a top hat and put it on casually, like it belonged to him. He turned to Sora to show it off, and then Roxas.

"That's classy," Sora encouraged.

"Not bad," Roxas agreed, smirking. He joined them near the accessories, curiously eyeing everything.

While the blond was distracted, Axel found a fedora and placed it on his head before he could even protest. "That somehow works," the redhead said, grin wide in his discovery.

" _Somehow_?" Roxas argued, scoffing. But he was quickly diverted when he found a pair of neon blue sunglasses. He turned and slid them on his sister's face, who giggled.

"Oh my god, they light up," Xion laughed. Namine wiggled the frames to the beat of the flashing lights, her eyes reflecting the myriad of colors they gave off. "One more thing!" he added, reaching into the box. He put a white cat-eared headband on her – it was arguably the cutest prop, with pink sequins sparkling inside the faux fur ears.

"Damn, that's fucking  _gold_ ," Roxas agreed with a sickly sweet voice, poking her cheeks, "You're so cuuuuuuuuuute."

"Ew, get off me!" she protested, swatting his hand away, "You need more too – here." She snatched a red feather boa out of Sora's hands, stringing it across Roxas in a flash. "It's your  _color_."

Roxas looped it around with a flick of his wrist. "I hate you."

"I love you, too, precious brother of mine," she sang, turning to Sora, "Sorry I stole the boa, though. You should wear the party hat!" She pointed, smiling gleefully.

Riku, who had appeared beside Sora, picked it up for him from the corner of the pile. It was a red paper hat with 90's-style orange-yellow triangles all over it, with a simple elastic string hanging between each side. Sora was quick to place it atop his head, sliding the string behind his ears. The silveret popped the hat on his head teasingly; it didn't hurt, but Sora still exclaimed, "Hey! Wait – you don't have anything."

Riku shrugged like he'd be perfectly content without, but it became Sora's sacred mission. While Roxas and Axel wrestled with Xion to put a black bowtie on him, Sora hungrily searched the ornaments. He came across another set of ears, but they were black and round – they even had a  _Disney World_ tag. He smiled evilly; it reminded him of the " _Disney trash_ " Riku let him play. Brandishing them with expectant enthusiasm, he flashed his dimples.

Riku sputtered in disbelief, grimacing in amusement. "Out of  _everything_ , you chose  _that_?" he said.

"Yep!" the brunet replied confidently, wiggling his eyebrows.

Riku tried to stifle a laugh, but couldn't, the sound escaping like a cough in the back of his throat. Sora waited patiently for an answer, content to watch the curve of his lips turn upward. With a helpless sigh, the silveret met his eyes and dipped down, offering his head to be crowned. Sora beamed like he'd burst, quickly but carefully sliding the sides of the headband through Riku's silver hair. When Riku stood straight again, he crossed his arms bashfully. Sora couldn't help it; he giggled because he couldn't fathom a dorkier, cuter Riku than this. His insides were goo, heart happily thumping hard.

The others saw it right afterward. "Holy  _shit_ , Riku, what!" Roxas cackled immediately, leaning on his boyfriend.

Axel snickered next to him, "This is Peak Riku."

"No, no, you're missing this!" Namine interjected, giggling in satisfaction at the new bow in her hands; it was white with red stripes.

"Hard pass," Riku said, leaning away from the thing.

"Please, Riku, join the bowtie club with me," Xion pleaded, hands folded like a prayer.

" _Pfft_ ," the silveret replied, but Axel and Roxas were already closing in. It was clear they would not relent until it rested around Riku's neck. They met their target after a brief struggle and a colorful string of expletives.

"I stand corrected," Axel said with an evil glint in his jade eyes, "this is Peak Riku."

What was left was a series of glasses; a monocle, a green pair that matched Namine's, a pair of dark Aviators, and a pair of red frames with a huge pink nose and a black mustache attached.

"Whoop, monocle's mine!" Axel sang, grabbing it immediately.

"Ha!  _Sir_ ," Sora teased, bowing slightly when it was placed on the redheads face.

"Good day," he replied in a very poorly faked British accent.

Riku had put on the Aviators, which would have suited him without the Mickey Mouse ears and the bow. Standing sublimely, hands resting at his hips, he stated, "I can't see shit."

Sora nearly lost it at that, grabbing Riku's arm to hold himself up as his sides split. He only stopped when Namine placed the red glasses in his hand, her mouth an expectant 'v'. He nodded enthusiastically, placing them on his face. Namine laughed so hard she snorted in between huffs of air.

"That… That nose, and oh my  _god_ , the  _mustache–"_

"Guys, we  _gotta_ take the pictures, or we'll be here all night," Xion managed to gasp between fits of his own laughter. His set up was complete, too; he'd taken the green light-up glasses.

Sora felt two hands grab his shoulders and push him forward gently. It was Riku, smirking behind him as he corralled them into the small, telephone-booth sized box. The space was tight for six people, so Namine and Xion huddled close to the front while Riku and Axel tried to flatten against the back wall as much as possible.

"Guys, guys, we get to pick the frames," Roxas said, grinning at a small touchscreen in the booth.

"Oh shit, this keeps getting better!" Xion agreed, using a finger to swipe through the options.

"I like the one with the stars," Sora said, peering over Roxas's shoulder to look.

But he was distracted by a poke to his side. He knew it was Riku just because he knew exactly where to poke to make him twitch. Sora turned, pretending to appear unamused by peering through his red, plastic frames, "What?"

Riku raised his phone; it was on Snapchat's selfie-side camera. "Gotta keep our streak."

The false apathy melted instantly, and Sora drew a little closer. "I am so proud of you, I could cry," he said, pretending to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.

Riku hummed, peeping over the dark shades. "We could trade glasses, hide your tears."

"What!?" the brunet replied, outraged, "But, don't you like my mustache?" He tried to wiggle it with his nose, but wasn't sure how successful it was.

Riku blinked twice, lips twitching upward, before poking Sora in the side again.

"Hey–"

Chuckling, he relented and paused. Expression unreadable, he stared just below Sora's fake nose. "I think it looks itchy," he said, and looked to the side. "Just… look at the camera, before they pick a frame."

Grinning triumphantly, the brunet drew nearer. The angle of Riku's phone was a little strange, pointing up as they peered down due to the limited space they had. Somehow, it fit the mood, what with their glasses and headgear and Riku's bowtie. So that they both fit in frame, the brunet tilted his head in, pushing his hat to tilt away. The very bottom side of one of Riku's mouse ears tapped the side of his head, their view partially obstructed by Sora's wild hair.

Sora's smile was sunny and permanent even in the dark booth. In the interest of time, Riku took the picture quickly – no extra filters. Immediately, Sora leaned in to inspect it, memorize it, the butterflies in his stomach erupting and spreading to his bones the closer he looked. Even in the dim light of the box, somehow Riku's eyes were still a bright and happy aquamarine. He was smiling softly in it, in the get-up and all. A small voice in the back of his mind whispered how little distance was between them, leaning into each other like they were –

Sora might not need pixie dust to fly at this rate. "You  _have_ to send that to me," he told him excitedly, gazing up with wide eyes. God, and Sora  _needed_ to get alone with him–

He didn't get to see Riku's nod as Axel called to them, "Oi, the picture's going." They simultaneously looked over to the other camera, attempting to situate themselves on short notice.

"Okay that was a basic bitch picture, make a face, I guess?" Xion suggested. Instantly a slew of bunny-ears appeared behind Roxas, Namine, Sora, and Xion's heads – though the hands were all tangled so it was impossible to tell who was bunny-earring who.

"Four eyes, four ears," Riku commented.

Axel snorted, "Oh my god."

Two more countdowns and they stumbled out of the tight compartment in giggles. As one last prank, as Axel and Roxas tried to escape too, the other four blocked the door.

"What are you doing?" Roxas asked, eyeing his sister with suspicion.

"You'll thank me later," she said.

"Couple pics!" Sora sang, fully endorsing the spirit.

"Uuuughhhhhh," the blond complained, rolling his eyes.

"Eh," Axel replied, tilting his head with a grin, "Just pretend you like me for two minutes, let's go." And with a finger hooked into the collar of Roxas's shirt, they disappeared into the box again.

"The others in line are gonna  _hate_  us," the raven-haired teen woefully sighed.

Sora watched as Riku leaned to scope the crowd before he reported, "Nah. Looks like the dessert line is mixing with this line. It's chaos anyway." There was no reason to watch as Riku took off the sunglasses, but Sora did anyway.

Suddenly, the box printed their pictures, a row of four little colored squares. "Aw," she said, picking them up, "there's only four copies."

"I mean, the box does say up to four people," Xion said, but still sounded disappointed.

"Boo," Sora added, frowning.

"Well, me and Roxas can share one for sure," the blonde replied brightly, "I think Axel should definitely get one, though."

"I can just take a picture of one," Riku offered. "Then everyone else can have one."

"Awww, that's…" Sora said, looking up at him admiringly.  _That's kinda sweet_ , he thought, but couldn't say. "Take a picture of mine!" he said instead, "Then it's like we're sharing?"

Riku hummed, "Sure."

"Ahhh, I'm so glad it worked out!" Namine cried. With a sincere smile, she handed Sora and Xion one of the picture sets. Riku leaned toward him to look.

Sora's cheeks were red before anyone said anything. "The camera was up front, guys," Xion teased, voice deadpan as he stared at the top photo. Sora and Riku had still been looking at each other when the camera first clicked – they were both smiling like idiots and Sora's hat hid  _nothing._ Riku would have been fine because of his glasses but his face's angle gave it away.

"Not for them, clearly," Nami sang.

Sora was grateful Roxas and Axel emerged just then, tripping over themselves with inside snickering.

"What did you guys do?" Riku reprimanded.

"Nothing, nothing," Axel said, clearly fibbing.

Roxas slid the boa off his shoulders, reaching for the back of his neck. "God _damn_  this thing is itchy," he complained, lips still upturned.

Then, their pictures printed, too. Sora was almost afraid to look, but curiosity got the better of him – and Namine, who grabbed them before Roxas did.

"Why am I not even a little surprised?" Xion sighed, before laughing and pointing at the bottom picture.

The first one was awkward, the two just standing side by side; it was clear that Roxas was still mid-pretending he didn't want to take pictures. But the second was sweeter, Axel's arm slung familiarly around Roxas's shoulders and a peace sign for good measure. The camera caught the moment the blonde looked up at him, expression almost unreadable as if he were thinking hard. Axel just looked like he was along for the ride. The third photo was the decision Roxas came to: a chaste kiss, a small smile pulling at both their mouths. And the fourth… The fourth was a blur, but it was clear they hadn't pulled away.

"Hey!" Roxas protested, snatching the photos out of his sisters hands, "This isn't show and tell, god." His cheeks were ruby, exacerbated by the dim lighting, but he handed one to his boyfriend, looking carefully away. Axel gazed on them and smiled.

_That must be…_ Sora thought as he stared solemnly,  _must be nice._  But he smiled, remembering the pictures in his pocket, and the one waiting in his Snapchat notifications.

"Should I post them on Facebook?" Axel asked, leaning toward the blond.

" _No–_ Axel, you don't even  _have_ a Facebook!" Roxas retorted, his embarrassment disappearing as the redhead picked a fight. Even he noticed that it was intentional, and grinned. "Post them and I'll kill you."

Axel raised his hands in surrender. Namine gave him a group photo set, which he received with a sincere thanks.

"Let's give the props back," Riku said, sliding the ears off. He stuck them on Sora's head and then busied himself on removing the cheap bowtie.

"Ahck–" Sora flinched from the band separating his hair all wrong, coupled with the awkward placement of his party hat. He turned to retaliate, but Namine and Xion pressed past them, skipping back to the costume box.

"Let's hurry!" Nami explained, "I wanna get in the dessert line!"

* * *

When the sun disappeared behind the trees, they decided to wait for the fireworks and claim a viewing spot before all the good ones were taken. It was Sora who claimed one of the worn, outdoor tables interspersed around the admin buildings and cabins. There he sat on the tabletop, the dulled, sunbaked wood pressing painlessly into his palms, surrounded by friends. Though the sky was a deepening indigo, the electric lights hadn't turned on yet; so their phones were the only lights illuminating their faces.

They were all laughing and goofing off like this wasn't the last night. Like a week from now they'd all sit around a park table and play  _Union Cross_ like they were now – like the summer was eternal. Sora was trying his damnedest to pretend, to match Roxas's smirk and Namine's laughter, to parallel Axel's sarcasm and Xion's jokes. But like before, the persistent thought kept resurfacing:  _I'm gonna miss this_.

He hadn't realized he was spacing out until Riku tapped his shoulder. He looked over, sincere at least in his interest. By way of explanation, Riku nodded his head to point over yonder; Larxene, keys spinning on a finger, was sauntering to her car. When Sora didn't know what to make of it, Riku explained, "She's probably going to set off the fireworks."

"Think it's dark enough?" Xion asked, distracted by Namine's phone.

Riku shrugged. "Probably."

"Well, then we have what, ten minutes?" Axel interrupted, pushing himself off the table he was leaning across, "So Rox and I are gonna go get drinks."

The blond mentioned stopped his snickering at Xion to send a questioning glance toward him. It only took a moment for Rox to get on board, a mischievous grin splitting his face. "Yeah, drinks," he said, and turned to his sister. "Save our spots."

She scowled, "Why's it my job?"

"Don't spike the punch," Riku joked back. Sora grinned; earlier, Axel was adamant that it wasn't a party until the drinks had alcohol in them. He and the silveret shared a glance at that comment.

After Roxas slid off the table, the two began walking away. "Wouldn't dream of it," the redhead called back, but it was laced with insincerity. It was Roxas who grabbed Axel's hand hanging limp between them.

Namine tsk-d as soon as they disappeared into the cafeteria. "I wonder if they thought that was smooth."

"I'm not sure that they cared," Xion agreed.

Suddenly, Sora realized that they likely wouldn't be back for awhile and frowned; he thought – or maybe, hoped – they'd watch the fireworks together. "In their defense," Sora conjectured aloud to them and himself, "it  _is_ the last day."

"Don't remind me," Xion pouted. It was a little relieving, to know Sora wasn't alone.

"We'll see each other again," the blonde encouraged. "We could, like, take road trips and hold senior parties and stuff."

Sora pointed at himself, smile small at her reassurance. "I'm about to be a junior."

But Namine just shrugged. "We can do it two years in a row! Me and Roxas are gonna be juniors, too."

"Ugh, that makes me the youngest," the raven-haired teen mourned. "Unless…?" He looked hopefully to Riku, who chuckled.

"Senior," he said.

"Damnit."

They waited about five minutes, and sure enough, Axel and Roxas hadn't returned. Namine asked those present, "Y'think they've left the cafeteria by now?"

"Probably," Riku said, "Why?"

Namine had a glint in her eye that Sora had learned to associate with trouble. She turned to Xion, "Good. Now  _we_ can go get drinks and it won't be awkward."

Sora could have  _sworn_ Xion winked back. "Yeah, and we should, like, go, before the fireworks start."

The blonde nodded enthusiastically. "Do you two want anything?"

Sora glanced frantically between the two tricksters, bewildered. Why did they want to leave?

Riku shook his head, expression unassuming and otherwise unreadable. But when Sora turned back to Namine, she definitely winked. All the sudden, the picture became clear – high definition. They were doing this  _for_ him. He'd almost forgotten; he and Riku hadn't been alone all day. And, he realized, watching the fireworks together would be really… nice. He looked at Riku, his best friend, and felt his whole body magnetized to be near him; it gave him goosebumps and left his tummy in a strange, nervous knot. He swallowed quickly. "Nah, I– I don't need anything. We'll stay here to keep the spot."

Xion nodded, sending Sora a cheerful thumbs up. "Cool, thanks!"

"We'll be back!" Namine promised, but the brunet got the distinct impression that it was a lie.

And then there were two.

Sora didn't have Riku's jacket to fidget discreetly in the sleeves, so instead he leaned partly back, drumming his fingers against the wood of the table. Riku was looking ahead, out over the crowd. They produced a dull roar, faceless as the handful of now-lit electric lanterns and purple sky turned them into a city skyline of silhouettes. The main source of light was the moon itself, proud and near-full as it sang praises of the sun it reflected.

It kind of reminded Sora of that night right before everyone had come back – when he learned about Mikey, when they accidentally kissed. He wondered if that was when he'd begun falling. Or maybe it was before then, even. Maybe it was when they played  _Kingdom Hearts_  or maybe when they got drunk and promised or maybe it was all the way back at the beginning, when Riku punched Xehan and–

With a small grunt, Riku jumped up onto the table next to Sora. The brunet was still far away as he watched the other check his phone. "Fireworks are going to start soon," he said.

"Hah, yeah, I think we got ditched," Sora said, in one nervous stutter of stupid.

"Looks like it."

They were shoulder to shoulder again though there was plenty room on the table. The hot summer night didn't seem to matter if it was Riku's warmth next to him. Sora cursed himself from weeks ago; he'd taken for granted all those hours he'd accidentally leaned on Riku before, when it was simple and meaningless. Now he couldn't because it  _did_  mean something.

They were quiet for a moment, but Sora couldn't think of anything to say. All his mental resources were trying to figure out how to tell him  _the thing_. But surprisingly, it was Riku who spoke first.

"Hey, earlier… You were kind of out of it. More than usual," a smile in jest, before he softly frowned, "Everything okay?"

Sora froze for an entire second.  _He… noticed?_ It was ludicrous to grin at the silveret's concern and yet he couldn't stop it, lips upturning like a sunflower turning to the sun. He covered it up with timid laughter, rubbing the back of his head. "Ahah, you– you noticed? Whoops." When Riku didn't reply, just waited patiently as he always did, Sora looked to his lap. "I was just, thinking about how today's the last day… is all. It was really fun, though, with everyone so–"

"Me, too," Riku said, "It's weird – it's like as soon as we got used to being here, it's over." Their eyes met and Sora felt like Riku pieced him together completely.

Sora nodded avidly, the air so much easier to breathe all the sudden. "Yeah, exactly," he said breathlessly. He thought for a moment, telling himself to add this to the list of infinite reasons why Riku was amazing. Inspirited, he continued, "So… you're moving in with Larxene?"

Riku grimaced, taken aback by the spotlight swap. But Sora would wait just as the silveret had for him. "Oh, uh, yeah what you said– made sense. It really helped as always so... Thanks."  _As always_ , Sora's brain echoed indulgently. Riku ruffled his silver hair and looked to the side – a sight that always made Sora's heart beat harder.

"Anytime," he said gently, tilting his head to follow Riku's gaze. Sora kept watching his face, drinking in his pale features in the moonlight. He watched for  _something_ , hungry for any sign that he wanted  _this_ , too. He would tell him anyway –  _had_ to tell him, was more sure than  _ever_  – but now he was so nervous his mind was swimming.

They heard it before they saw it: the loud pop, almost like a gunshot, but deeper and muffled before the first set of lights filled the sky. Sora turned to look, eyes wide in wonder. Though they had set up the fireworks, he was still surprised by the ring of red sparks expanding across and blinding the stars. More pops, and a whining whistle, and white sparks soared right by the dimming red, bursting like a swarm of fireflies. Those were Sora's favorite; he felt like them. Maybe the butterflies he felt were really just happy lightening bugs.

A green UFO flashed with smaller purple bursts, and Sora noted that the others weren't back. He could take a hint. He had to do this now – he wanted to do this now. He just hoped his mouth could keep up with his heart.

"Hey Sora-"

"Uh, Riku-"

They looked at each other at the same time, both pausing in shock. The brunet broke to laugh, an anxious stuttering of released air, while Riku cleared his throat, stalling time.

"Can... can I go first?" Sora asked, forget-me-not blue eyes hopeful and blazing. He was trying to burn his nervousness as a fuel for the fire he felt in his chest. His heart was pumping adrenaline in place of blood now. "It's... kinda important."

"Go for it," Riku said affectionately, barely audible from the next two bursts of fireworks illuminating the sky.

Encouraged, Sora took a breath and held it like a prayer. He couldn't think about it; he just had to  _go_. "Okay, so like, I tried to do this yesterday but it turns out I'm kind of a chicken so this is take two. I, uhh..." The moonlight glinted off of Riku's hair, making it appear almost pearl white – until a bright purple tint overcame it with a crash overhead. It was so unfairly  _gorgeous_ , Sora lost his essay of thought; but Riku has a small, patient smile, blissful and serene.

He swallowed quick and started again. "I think I like you. Actually, I don't think I know. And I mean,  _like_  like, not like normal like and I think it's been like this since, like, the beginning but I just didn't know? And you're my best friend so it makes it weird but I don't know-"

"I love you," Riku said in one breath. Sora hadn't realized he had looked away until that moment, because his eyes snapped back instantly. Riku was still, mouth tense, like the words had just spilled out of him. But he didn't take them back, just waited.

Sora didn't even blink. "Really? You do?" His heart was pounding so loud he couldn't tell if it was actually the fireworks or not. He thought his face might split if he smiled anymore.

Riku huffed a laugh, smiling shyly, chin tilted away. Sora had never seen him this way. "Uh, yeah," Riku said. Gravel crunched as Riku swung a leg in a rigid arc, his shoe dragging across. And he was… he was  _blushing_.

The confirmation was a song and he was hanging on every note. "Since  _when_!?" he asked in rapt curiosity. Sora leaned just a little to see Riku's face more, forgetting everything else existed but him. He couldn't even hear the bursts and booms in the sky anymore.

"I liked you since the beginning, basically, but I…" He stopped looking away. "I've loved you since you stole Larxene's car keys for me."

Time stopped, first in his heart, then his lungs, and then his throat.  _All this time_ , Sora thought. He just couldn't contain it, and time snapped back like a rubber band . "I love you, too, I- I don't know when but–" He was lost for words, dizzied thinking about everything they'd done together in fast forward. The words 'I love you' tasted sweet on his tongue, and it lingered. He took a breath and still felt light headed but so warm. "Does this mean like – you'll go out with me?"

"Pfft, of course," Riku said without hesitation, voice light and smooth. Sora didn't know when, but he had overlapped his own hand on Riku's that was to the side. They rearranged so that their fingers folded together. It was so right.

Another burst of white fireflies whirled in the purple expanse above them. Sora saw them kaleidoscope in Riku's eyes and decided they were the prettiest they could ever be there.

"I have a question," Riku said, smile secretive. It kind of reminded Sora when he'd tried a margarita and said he liked it.

"Hmm?" Sora encouraged, curious and eager.

"Can I kiss you?"

His heart skipped a beat. "Hey I was– I was going to ask that! How do you keep beating me?" But Sora was already closer.

"It's a competition now?" The silveret teased, placing more weight on their hands as he leaned forward.

"Maybe," was the only thing Sora could say that wasn't incomprehensible screaming. It came out almost a whisper, portraying a calmness he didn't have.

"I'm definitely winning," Riku muttered, and then proved it. They were only a centimeter apart and he closed the gap. This kiss was immediately different than before. It was soft and slow and Sora could feel it everywhere, in the tips of his fingers and toes and he'd never forget this as long as he lived. His heart beat faster and harder but when their lips met, it pumped gold. He wished he could stop time right here, and just kiss Riku for an eternity. His lips were gentle but enduring, like Sora could fall apart and Riku would hold them together. All the nervous tension he'd had seemed frivolous now, unraveling like loose thread.

Riku started to pull away – who knew how many seconds had passed – but as soon as Sora realized it, he mumbled, "One more." And pressed up against him again a little deeper and urgent. Caught off guard, Riku's breath hitched and by instinct, he steadied Sora by placing a hand in the dip in Sora's side, which only emboldened him more. The weight of Riku's touch kept him on earth but made him soar, too. He felt electric, pulses emanating from every touch. He felt a shiver go down his back and thought " _that's... new_ " but  _everything_  was new and wonderful and he could hardly believe this was actually happening.

But he pulled away before he totally lost himself and passed out. By the time Sora opened his eyes, Riku's smile was bathed in a cool blue from the latest firework. Sora loved the way it shadowed across his sharp jaw, and splashed across the slope of his nose and the bow of his amazing lips - that Sora had just kissed.

Blissfully, Riku chuckled. "I am so glad I was sunburned," he said.

Sora giggled, his voice light and airy just like his bones and core and every part of him, "What? Why?"

"So I know I'm not dreaming," he replied sweetly.

It took a moment to make the logical leaps but he realized he was gripping Riku's forearm. "Oh shit, you're still sunburned!" He lifted his hand. "Great, I hurt my boyfriend on day one, I'm so good at this."

Riku's grin was brilliant. "As the victim, I'd like to clarify that it was a thousand percent worth it."

Sora meant to laugh but instead it came out as a happy "hnnnn". His brain was still trying to catch up, replaying the last ten minutes like instant replay. He stayed near, ever magnetized to everything that was Riku. "Oh wait," Sora remembered, "what were you gonna say? Before?"

Riku blinked twice, like he had completely forgotten. It was so  _nice_  to think it was endearing without the doubt it was okay to do so. Then, the silveret smirked. "I was going to tell you to confess already," he said.

"You were not," Sora gasped in disbelief.

Riku was quick to relent. "Mm, you're right. I was gonna ask you out."

Every time Sora thought,  _I can't be happier than this_ , Riku said something else to contradict it. "So then I won!" he exclaimed. In his excitement, he was leaned in again. He adored drinking in Riku's features this close.

Watching this intently paid off. He noticed his vibrant eyes flicker down, lingering just below his nose, before meeting Sora's again. Narrowing his own eyes in a new, soft knowing, Sora leaned in more – high on the concept that Riku wanted it.

Riku huffed - a mix of a chuckle and sheepishness. He knew Sora had caught him. "Okay, you win," he mumbled before kissing Sora again. It was shorter this time because Sora couldn't hold back his grin. Even still, it made Sora warm, completely separate from the summertime heat. When they pulled away, he decided to be a little brave – or rather, decided that there shouldn't be bravery required – and leaned his head on Riku's shoulder. They kept their fingers intertwined and rested their hands between them. It felt like the eye of a torrential storm, because though the night air was still, Sora felt like he was spinning. His heart wouldn't stop pounding hard in awe.

For a moment, they were quiet just watching the fireworks. Sora knew there had been many, but this many? Had time passed at all? Or were they in their own world again, fulfilling promises and laughing back at stars?

The silveret shifted, head turning into Sora's unruly tufts of brown. After a hum, he said, "If they watched this, I'm kicking them out of my clan." His murmur into Sora's hair tickled.

"Wouldn't that be a tad hypocritical?" the brunet wondered aloud. In fact, maybe Namine and Axel were due a thank you.

"Doesn't count," Riku retorted, "we didn't get locked in on purpose."

Sora giggled, but as if on cue, he heard a familiar, smooth, contented voice.

"Awww," Axel cooed, approaching with Roxas in tow. Sora only tilted his head to see him approach, wanting to remain as glued to Riku as possible.

"Jesus Christ,  _finally_ ," Roxas said. "I had to  _bribe_  Namine to–"

"Cease!" Namine said, jogging up to the group. Xion was too lazy to run, so he wandered back casually. It seemed they actually did go back to the cafeteria, heading back from that direction with soda cans in hand.

"Did you guys not watch the fireworks?" Sora asked with a frown.

"Errr..." Axel replied, ruffling the hair on the back of his head. Roxas just crossed his arms and looked equally as cross.

"Did  _you_?" Xion teased, glancing pointedly between Sora and his hand with Riku's.

"We-we did!" Sora argued, instinctually gripping Riku's hand tighter.

"They're still going, if you're done," Riku retorted, his contentment an audible song in his voice. Right on time, another big, red firework set off. The four looked at it in unison and then joined them on the table, Namine and Xion next to Riku and Roxas and Axel by Sora.

"And you two set up all these?" Nami asked appreciatively. Sora enjoyed that he could feel Riku's nod.

"Ugh, of course it was the  _one_  thing I wanted to do," Axel sighed.

Even as the spectacular light show celebrated the camp's conclusion, Sora didn't feel that it was over. But maybe it just didn't feel real yet – the only thing keeping him grounded was Riku's hand in his and Roxas's snickering next to him. But his heart was up with the soaring multicolored lights of fire. He got to see the fireworks with everyone after all; got the cake, and ate it too.

He snuck discreet glances to his friends: Axel, laughing at something Xion said; Namine, complaining that she didn't have her drawing pad to draw them like this; Roxas, alternating between squabbling with Axel and Riku; Riku, sending a small, sweet smile before giving into Roxas's provocation. Sora decided he could wait till tomorrow to be sad about summer's end.

After all, it finished with a pretty big bang.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](https://www.flickr.com/photos/140559900@N08/42379669521/)  
> 
> 
>  
> 
> A/N: In my defense, I wrote this before I heard the new lyrics from Oath/Chikai. Just sayin.
> 
> (In case the photo didn't embed correctly) I drew some fanart for the photo booth scene! I'm not the best artist but: [art link](https://flic.kr/p/27yWTgg)  
> You can also see it on my tumblr, along with a version without the props!: [astraia-writes](https://astraia-writes.tumblr.com/)
> 
> There is  _ **one chapter + one epilogue left of yamm!**_ Thank you to everyone who has read, bookmarked, commented and/or followed this fic - I'll do a more fleshed out thanks at the end but... still, you guys mean the world to me :') Big shout out to AmbitiousSkychild on Ao3 for beta-ing and being a wonderful bestie, and to rikusfluffyhair for encouraging me through this long ass chapter.
> 
> See you guys next time! :D  
> ~ Kaiserin Astraia


	19. Simple And Clean

**~ Chapter 19: Simple and Clean ~**

* * *

_Riku:_

Even without his jacket, Riku felt like he'd never be cold again.

It was on Sora as he snap-chatted Kairi, anyhow, a softness resting against his shoulder lacking all the naivety of when, forever ago, he played  _Chain of Memories._  Some of Sora's unruly locks of hair were tickling him, made worse that he kept swiping a hand through it as he laughed, then poked Riku as if he wasn't already watching, pointed at his phone screen, and had Riku read another of Kairi's snaps. They alternated between threats and " _welcome to the 'we love Sora' club._ " Sora insisted no such club existed, but Riku was just about willing to fight the redheaded girl for presidency of it, her veteran status be damned. It was that kind of night.

2:45 A.M. was printed across Riku's face on his own phone lock screen, a couple of snapchat " _X Added You!_ " notifications spreading across Sora's face just below from Roxas, Namine, and Xion. All three of which were soundly asleep. Xion was in his own bunk, having thrown in the towel after several rounds of Truth or Dare. Roxas and Namine slept in the bunk under Axel's, positioned exactly as Riku imagined twins would: both close like they loved each other, and far apart like they hated each other. Roxas gripped one of Nami's outstretched arms as a pillow even while he curled away from her, while the blonde was completely spread out across the remaining space of the bed. Like a starfish.

And Axel was slowly, silently, climbing out of the bunk – that is, after he carefully slid Roxas's legs off his lap. The slumbering blond was undisturbed by the groans of the mattress as his boyfriend, watching the twins' faces with baited breath, crept away; he only coiled in more on himself, much to the redhead's relief.

"Going to bed?" Sora asked, leaning forward to watch him. The mattress's noisy springs below them whined.

"Uh, yeah, it's almost three," Axel said, hushed on account of his proximity to the slumbering twins. He looked to Riku and smirked. "Guess you're stuck here, Roxy's not going anywhere."

Riku didn't think either him or Roxas intended to leave when they snuck over after lights-out. Though, now that it was brought up, he hadn't factored sleeping into this situation – could he? With Sora, his fucking  _boyfriend_ ,  _this_ close? With Sora Stride, the embodiment of sunlight and warmth and happiness–

Axel chuckled; maybe Riku was making a face. "You could sleep with me, Riku," he added, winking.

"Uh, no," he immediately retorted.

Sora shifted next to him. Riku wondered if there would come a day he wasn't hyper-aware of every move Sora made. Likely no time soon. "We shared a room before, it's fine," the brunet argued. He looked up into Riku's face with bright eyes and a happy smile, perhaps expecting him to agree. Sora could probably say anything looking at him like  _that_ and he'd nod, but…

The redhead and Riku gave him the same look:  _it's a little different now_. But after two clueless blinks of his big blue eyes, they gave up. Sighing, Axel climbed up into his bunk. "Whatever," he said, practically face-planting into his own pillow, then muttering, "just make out  _after_ I fall asleep."

Sometimes, Riku hated Axel. Now, it was because Riku's face probably matched his crimson hair. He even felt it in the tips of his ears, which were less concealed with the shorter cut he was still adjusting to. Curious about Sora's silence, he looked over to see him also cherry red, a small embarrassed smile straining his lips that made Riku's heart pound like the booms of fireworks only hours before.

"We're not like you and Roxas," Riku finally chided, the only retort in his happy and distracted arsenal.

Axel must have thought it weak too, because he lazily waved a hand in the air as if to shoo the comment away and then rolled over away from them.

"It's really three?" Sora whispered. The blush was diminishing from his face, though he was strangely still, like a cat after a fright. "I thought Kairi'd be asleep by now."

Riku nodded. "They are waking us up early, too." With everyone asleep except them, he felt the proximity tenfold. He was scared to even shift on the bed, the potential of a noisy mattress too incriminating. Thanks, Axel.

"Ugh, we're gonna be so tired tomorrow," the brunet sighed. He took one last selfie, one that included Riku's jaw last second, and sent it as a goodnight snap to Kairi. The phone was dropped to the side, in between the wall and his pillow. Then, he turned back and started sliding down, not even bothering to lift the sheets to slip under them. Riku spent the entirety watching, committing every moment to memory because who knew when they'd see each other again? Or if? Riku was trying to forget 'if' was a word in his vocabulary, but he was great at assuming the worst.

When Sora settled on his side, tucking his elbow in, he glanced at Riku watching – then looked away – then back, and laughed. "Oh," he said, "This is what that look was for, earlier."

Riku chuckled back – how could be so cute all the time? "Yeah, I'm not sure I can sleep like this."

"You did before, Mr. I've-Liked-You-Since-The-Beginning," Sora teased, pleased like someone who thought they'd won.

Riku flicked his ear, satisfied when Sora cringed. "Hey–" Sora protested, covering it as he giggled with constraint. Riku used the time to lay down, too, propping himself up on an elbow. "Bet you'll still fall asleep before me," Riku challenged, smirking.

"Nuh uh," Sora lilted, recovering, "I'm too…" He gestured with his hands, waving them up and down, flexing his fingers like little explosions. Riku took one of the hands, wondering if his face would be sore from smiling so much. "Same," he said. "We could just… hang out till one of us falls asleep?" Maybe it was stupid, but he'd drag out every moment with Sora that he could, even if they were doing nothing at all.

Sora bobbed his head, and quickly swiped his phone from behind him. "You're on," he said, "I could scroll memes for literally ever."

Retrieving his own phone slipping from his pocket, Riku snorted. "What do I get when I win?"

"When  _I_  win," Sora said, unlocking his device to his home screen picture of them that he wasn't hiding anymore, "You… kiss me in the morning. If you win, I'll kiss you first."

What an absolutely wonderful excuse, Riku thought – and by Sora's cheeky grin, he thought the same thing. He decided to leave out the comment that Riku was happy either way. He brought up  _Union Cross_ , content to idly play while Sora undoubtably inebriated Riku in Imgur images.

But the light of his phone was eclipsed by Sora's head. Before he could even blink, Sora was kissing him – and Riku dropped his phone, kissing back so fast it might as well have been instinct. Sora's lips were soft, but direct, their noses smushed a little together. It was so  _dumb_  – such a simple thing – and yet his heart rate skyrocketed. The brunet was quick to pull away but Riku dragged it out, leaning just a little to follow him.

"Goodnight kiss," Sora said, explaining, "Since … yeah."

"Yeah," Riku said dumbly, still floating down from the stratosphere.

He didn't remember falling asleep, unsure if it happened minutes or hours later.

But he woke up to loud creaking just next to him. With a soft, dreary sigh he opened his eyes to slits, turning his head toward the source of the annoying sound.

"Oh, sorry, Riku," Xion said as he descended the stairs of the bunk. The wood stopped moaning as soon as he leapt off it, bare feet hitting the floor.

Barely awake, Riku replied mentally, but doubted that his mouth moved at all. When Xion turned without further comment, poking his head over the bunk Roxas and Namine were sleeping in, Riku turned back with the full intent of falling asleep again. That is, until Sora stirred, his forehead sliding across his chest and his arm curling more around Riku's middle and–

Wait.

Riku peered down, and was instantly greeted with a face full of soft, crazy, chocolate brown hair. Sora really  _was_ using Riku's shampoo, was the awed thought that flew across his drowsy mind. It was then, too, that he pulled his arm in towards himself only to find it around Sora. They didn't fall asleep like this – at least, he didn't remember it. Searching his senses, he could vaguely feel his phone under his arm; meaning it would likely have little to no battery left, and that he fell asleep with it in hand.

Just like so many nights ago, his DS left open so long untouched that the device turned itself off. Somehow, it was this memory that validated all the ones after it; these past two months weren't just a fever dream after all.

But they'd have to get up soon. He could hear Namine whispering behind them, her voice high and sleep-neglected. With all the gentleness and reluctance of someone who did  _not_ want to wake him, Riku shook Sora's shoulder. "Sora?"

Quickly, the brunet stirred again. With fluttering, dull eyes he looked up at him. "Mm?"

"We have to get up," Riku said regretfully.

"Oh," Sora said cutely, like he didn't actually register the comment at all. "Mm, did you know that we used to sleep like this, before?" He slurred quietly, rubbing his eyes. "I'd wake up first every time and you were always … like this."

It was news to him, and any other time he'd find it excruciatingly embarrassing. But it was Sora. "Maybe it was meant to be, then," Riku said, relishing the way Sora stretched and yawned in his arms, wishing he could wake up this way every day.

Sora's eyes widened, staring up the silveret with a growing smile. "Don't say that!" he said, ducking back into Riku's chest, but held it like a hug, "Now I really don't want to go."

"That makes two of us," Riku said, hugging back.

"Make that, like, at least four of us," Roxas yawned loudly behind them. He heard the mattress creak and then the stairs up to Axel's bunk.

"Five," said Xion, picking his day's clothes from his drawer of the dresser.

"Six," corrected Namine, her footsteps a light patter against the wood floor, "See you guys at breakfast, I gotta go change."

And Riku remembered they had an audience and promptly wanted to die.

Luckily, Sora didn't seem to care. He perked up, sitting up. "Axel's not up yet?"

Riku tilted in time to see Roxas shake his head from the top of the bunk ladder. Roxas turned away and shook the last member asleep, while Riku sat up, brushing his hair from his face.

"Aaaaaxel," the blond called. His shaking got more and more violent, but it wasn't until the bed began quivering too that Axel stirred.

"Hmm? Five more minutes, Roxangel," the redhead muttered, voice thick and faint. By the shuffling of fabric, it seemed that Axel just pulled his sheets closer.

"Roxan– What the fuck?" Roxas muttered. Sora giggled next to Riku; the silveret was set on retrieving his phone and seeing how much battery he had left. "Wake up, Ax," he tried again exasperated.

Axel made a sound between choking and snoring. "Eh? Can't breathe–" His voice was strange and subdued as the blond held his nose, turning his face with it. "Oh, Roxy,  _hi_." If it weren't for Roxas's prank, Axel might have sounded sweet, his smile audible in his voice.

Roxas scoffed, releasing him. "Morning, sleeping beauty. You're just as impossible to wake as Riku." The silveret glared to the blond; Sora poked him and stuck his tongue out, and suddenly the comment was forgiven.

"I'd get better if  _you_  woke me up  _every_  da–" He didn't get to finish, as Roxas shut him up with a kiss.

When they parted, the redhead sighed, "Great, now I never wanna leave."

"Pfft," Xion interjected, "you're late to this conversation." Axel grumbled something under his breath, inaudible, but Roxas laughed.

"I gotta go change," Riku said, sliding off the bed reluctantly to stand.

Sora nodded. "I'm going to try to take a lightening speed shower."

"Oh, wait," Axel said. Then suddenly, a book went flying through the air, which Riku expertly caught. "I finished it awhile ago, but forgot I had it. It's so emo." He smirked at Riku over his bunk railing, dark rings under his otherwise bright and alive eyes.

Riku rolled his eyes, turning the book over in his hands once. It had a lot of dog-eared pages now. He handed the book to Sora.

"Oh, it was Sora's this whole time?" Axel asked. When Sora nodded, he continued, "Riku's comments were boring so I added some, too." His wink made Riku scowl.

"You both… wrote in it?" Sora said, gazing at the book.

"I was just tryna make Riku lighten up but… yeah." He rubbed the back of his head.

Now that he knew the comments were direct  _at_ him, Riku was almost curious what Axel wrote. But before that, he needed to justify himself. Riku added, "I was pointing out the  _themes_." He glared at Axel. "Since you struggled with Fahrenheit 451."

"I love that book," Axel admired.

"You just love fire," Roxas said, rolling his eyes.

"Maybe," he acquiesced. "Not as much as  _you_ , though." He winked again, though at Roxas, who flushed.

"You're the  _worst_ in the morning," he muttered. Riku headed for the door, done with this conversation.

Sora grabbed his hand. "See you in the cafeteria?"

Riku squeezed the hand, softening, "Of course."

* * *

_Sora:_

The morning was a blur for Sora, unreal and light like a dream. After yesterday and waking up  _cuddled_  to Riku, he practically floated his way through his shower, breakfast, and the absolute chaos that was packing. Sora thought it'd be easy; just empty his drawer of clothes into the suitcase, right? But after Namine gave him some of her sketches as a gift, he was trying to optimally organize it in order to place them inside without crumpling them.

Blushing, Namine had told him, "You seemed to really like the one where everyone's a fish of some kind, so there's that… and of course the ones with you and Riku." She held out a small stack of paper from her sketch book.

"Oh wow… Are you sure?" Sora had said, taking them delicately. He felt like Nami was handing him her child, or something.

She nodded, smiling, "I took really good pictures of the sketches. I think at home I'll color some of them on my tablet. So, keep an eye on my tumblr." She tapped her foot against the ground, shy about her art even after all this time.

"You know I will!" Sora promised, looking down at the penciled paper. Her detailed lines held so much love in them; it made his heart tremor. "Wow, I really don't know what to say… thank you so much!" Before she could respond, Sora placed the sketches on his bed and pulled her to him, hugging tight.

She hugged back, laughing from the shock. Her frame was so small compared to his that he could cross his arms behind her back. When they pulled away, she sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "Ugh, I had too much fun," she said. "This sucks."

"Aww, don't cry yet!" Sora pleaded, holding her shoulders. He smiled, swallowing the lump in his throat that was quick to rise. "If you cry, I'll cry, and it'll all be a big mess."

"Yeah, and Roxas'll kick my ass," she laughed through her tears.

Sora shook his head. "I'll protect you."

He decided the best place for her drawings was in the pocket under the lid of the suitcase. To protect the paper from pressure, he laid the suitcase on it's side once he reached the outdoor table that the gang had claimed, all their things in a haphazard pile on the tabletop. They sat on the edges of the table – where there was enough room – and on one side's seats; being close to each other was an unspoken priority that left the seats on the other side of the table empty.

The wind was strong today, pulling Sora's hair like it'd carry him away. And Riku's fingers intertwined with his next to him was a silent whisper:  _not yet, not yet_. "My parents said they're about an hour out," Sora sighed regretfully, clicking his phone dark. Riku squeezed his hand, and Sora smiled back gratefully.

"Boo," Xion said, frowning. He was struggling to keep his hair from his face, pushing his bangs to the side to see. Namine, next to him, offered a bobby pin which he took bashfully. "My mom said they stopped at a gas station for snacks."

"I promise my asshole uncle will get here first," Axel grumbled, tapping his heel on the ground anxiously. His hair was so wild that he pulled it back into a ponytail from Riku, yet it still managed to look like a lion's mane.

"What's that about?" Sora asked, worry pulling his brow.

The redhead tilted his head, chin resting on a palm. "Military, I guess," he replied.

The blond next to him frowned, like he had more to say, but stayed silent. Sora knew why: they had, essentially, already said their goodbyes. He happened to overhear them as he dragged his suitcase out to the table.

_"Yeah, it's not gonna be great, but I'll have you to talk to," Axel said, cupping Roxas's chin as they leaned against the wall outside the blond's cabin._

_Roxas frowned, silently appraising Axel's subdued smile and dimmed eyes. It was very reminiscent of when camp ended the first time, except now Roxas was done pretending. Without hesitation, he leaned up and wrapped his arms around the taller teen, burying his face into the crook of his neck._

_"Of_ course  _you have me," Roxas said adamantly, "You can text me any time, no matter how late, okay?"_

_Axel stared blankly in shock, his hands hovering over Roxas, but tightly hugged back as soon as his words sank in. "Thanks," he replied softly. It was the last thing Sora heard before he was too far away. Strangely, his heart felt heavy._

They didn't show up to the table for awhile after that, but no one said anything when they arrived. It wasn't so quiet like last time; it seemed that now that goodbye was imminent, they were content to pretend it wasn't, chatting with patient enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, Axel was right – not too soon after he spoke, they heard his name barked from the front gates. The same man from over a month ago – crimson hair slicked back, big and burly in a deep navy polo and khaki shorts – carried his anger with him in every step. The gravel cried under the intensity, but Axel was still and silent.

Roxas squeezed his hand before letting it go as the redhead stood stiffly, sighing. Roxas jumped up to say goodbye again, but his sister beat him to the punch, diving into Axel's arms for a hug. She was sniffling. "See you soon," the blonde said slowly and thickly, more like a promise than a goodbye.

He cracked a smile and pat her back. "Like you could get rid of me; you're so cute, Nami." She giggled.

Xion was next, who gave him a high five before the hug. "Text me," he said, insistent.

"Wouldn't forget it," Axel said. He glanced over his shoulder, taking note of his uncle. The man had been stopped by Xemnas and Zexion; likely listing his minor infractions during his time at camp. But they were unwittingly buying him extra time.

By the time he looked back, Sora was already launching himself at him, unable to wait another second. He nearly fell over, exclaiming, "Jesus  _christ_ , Sora,  _I'm_  not a blackbelt–"

"I'm going to miss you so much and webetterseeeachotheragain!" Sora  _swore_ he wasn't going to cry but, well, fuck, he felt some tears escape on the sides of his face. But it was okay. Axel deserved them.

"Shit, man," Axel said, rubbing the back of his head like he was trying to not be overwhelmed. He squeezed Sora. "I'll miss you, too. Don't think you're free of me yet, though."

Sora nodded enthusiastically, wiping the sides of his face. Then, Riku sighed as he stood. As Sora realized his intent, he had a hard time holding back a a grin. Axel too, laughed – it was the most sincere one since breakfast.

"Oh my god, do  _I_  get a Riku hug?" he cried.

Riku rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, "Nevermind, I changed my mind."

Not that Axel intended on letting the opportunity pass; he pulled Riku into a bro-hug with a pat on the back and everything. Riku returned it, smiling despite himself. "See you around, Ax."

"You, too, edgelord," Axel said, winking. Riku shrugged it off, and leaned against the table next to Sora, who giggled.

"C'mon, Axel!" the uncle finally growled, waving around a manilla folder violently.

Axel flinched, then glared. "Can't wait for  _two_ minutes, can he…" He turned to Roxas who had been waiting patiently. "He will literally lose his shit if I kiss you right now," Axel said. The apology was written in his voice, almost fragile to admit it out loud.

But Roxas shook his head and smiled, before hugging him tight. He mumbled, "It's okay, this is enough – more than enough." It was the first time Axel looked like he might cry, his emerald eyes sparkling as he looked into Roxas's hair.

"That's pretty gay," he said finally, releasing Roxas.

Roxas scoffed, but it was all for show – he sniffed right after. "Text me, pyro."

Axel gave a half-salute in agreement, and grabbed his pathetically slack duffel bag. With it slung over his shoulder, he reluctantly walked away, kicking the larger gravel stones for good measure. The group watched solemnly, but all made silly faces when he glanced behind one last time and winked back. His uncle started yelling before Axel caught up to him, but Roxas was spamming texts before they could even leave through the gate, and soon after Sora followed suit.

There was a moment dedicated to quietly shuffling the gravel after Axel's hair vanished. Riku broke it first. "Do you need Oreos, Rox?" he said, his voice some mix of teasing and serious.

The blond glared defensively, crossing his arms. He swiped at his nose, roughly sniffling when he decided, "Yes, yes I do." His frown melted into a smirk, "Jerk."

Pushing himself up from the table, Riku smirked back. "Well, the camp doesn't need them anymore."

Sora checked the time; his parents wouldn't be here for awhile yet. "I'm coming, too!"

"Be right back," Riku promised.

After a whole sleeve of Oreos shared between the five of them, epitomizing the phrase 'eat your feelings', Xion's parents arrived. They were every bit as calm and serene as Xion himself, greeting everyone as he introduced them with sweet smiles and waves. They began a conversation, but only minutes after, Sora spotted his foster mom peeking her head through the front gates. Their eyes met at the same time, twin smiles lighting up their faces.

"Mom!" Sora yelled, jumping off the table in one fell swoop. The twins, Xion, and Riku all turned their heads in surprise, but Sora was too excited. Before he knew it he was sprinting to the woman who was also jogging toward him. She waved as she went, "Sora!"

They collided into a hug, and Sora lifted her by pure adrenaline. Her light brown curls, already tossed by the wind, whipped into her face, and she laughed, light and sincere. He liked to think he learned how to laugh from her. "Oh my god, you're so  _tan!_ " she said, hands on his shoulders.

She expected to be put down, but he wasn't done hugging her, so he carried her back to the table. She had to bend her knees to keep her feet from dragging, due to her height.

"I went outside a couple times," Sora said, smiling as he approached his friends. Riku and Roxas were smirking at him, clearly conveying:  _showoff_. Namine was just laughed. "Where's dad?" he asked.

"Oh, he's in the car, guarding our loot," she said. He placed her on the ground and she gazed about until she realized her skirt was all wrinkled and sheepishly pulled it down smooth.

"Will there be space for my stuff?" Sora asked, sliding his suitcase from the table past Riku, who he sent an excited look. It was their secret – well, his, Riku's, and Kairi's – that technically there was a 'foster' descriptor in front of the name 'mother', and he was so glad Sora told him. It made all this more special.

"We'll find a way to squeeze you in, maybe strap you to the roof," she replied, winking. Then she paused, looking at the small crowd of teens and parents around this one picnic table. "Sora, why don't you introduce me to your friends?"

Sora nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!" he said, spinning toward the table. He only faltered when he saw that Namine and Xion were still talking with his parents. "Uh, those two are Namine and Xion. Xion's got the black hair."

His mom nodded, and Namine gave a little shy wave after hearing her name. "And this is Roxas," he gestured to the blond.

"Yo," he said, flashing a peace sign. His mom giggled.

"Axel was here, too," Sora said, "But he had to go already." Then, he turned to Riku, and his words died in his mouth; he didn't know how to introduce him.

But the option was promptly stolen from him. "Then,  _this_  must be Riku!" she said excitedly, emerald eyes sparkling. "I've heard so much about you!"

Sora  _cringed,_ sending fretful glances between the two. "Ahaha, that's– that's not true," he said anxiously.

Riku, however, seemed just as nervous as he stood from the bench – well, he half-stood, indecisive on whether it'd be too formal to stand, or disrespectful to remain sitting. "Um, hi," he said, "it's nice–" He didn't get to finish, because Sora's mom hugged him so hard he nearly fell back against the table.

"I'm so glad to meet you! You look different from the picture – Sora didn't send very many. Well. More like, one."

Riku met Sora's eyes with one side of his mouth quirked, hands hovering on his mom's back. All Sora could do was grimace apologetically, and try not to melt into the floor.

She was taller than Sora, but still shorter than Riku, putting her at the perfect height to hover over him when she pulled away. Immediately, her hands went into his hair, babbling on. "Sora cut your hair, right? Oh my god, when I found out our bags were switched, I was  _so_  embarrassed. But I guess it worked out!"

The silveret nodded, smiling in bewilderment while trying to keep up. Sora was probably beet red. "Mom, please stop molesting his hair."

"Oh, shush, I'm checking it out!" she said, giggling. She tossed a wink his way before she went back to combing Riku's hair with her fingers. "Sora did pretty good – with what he had anyway. You boys are  _so_ silly, cutting your hair at camp. When I went to camp – don't ask me how long ago that was – me and a bunch of other girls pierced each other's ears. I'm not sure which is worse, but hey, at least hair grows back, right?"

Riku seemed to be over the initial shock of the encounter, shoulders slipping down from their defensive tension. He looked at Sora's mom with a soft understanding – which left Sora totally bewildered. "I like it," Riku defended him, before smiling sincerely at him.

Sora's breath caught in his throat.

"Aw, you're so sweet," she said  _for_  Sora, hugging him quickly again – which Riku returned with a hesitant arm. "Well, listen," she pulled away, arms on his shoulders as she began earnestly, "you should visit us and I'll cut your hair right next time, okay?" It didn't matter to her that Riku could live states away or just down the street; just as she had done with Kairi, Riku had been, essentially, adopted. Sora was torn between mortified and indescribably grateful.

"Um. Sure," Riku said, back to a medium level of flustered. His cheeks were a little pink – perhaps from all the attention. Sora joined his side at the table, his protect–Riku–from–overexcited–foster–mother kicking in ten thousand years too late.

Closer, he could hear the soft insistent  _vrr_ -ing emanating from her skirt pocket. "Your phone's buzzing," Sora told her.

She perked up in surprise. "Oh! Bet that's your dad," she said, before slipping the phone out. Sora's sigh of relief was audible. "Yep, I'm always right," she hummed happily, then answered. " _Moshi moshi!_ "

" _Genori! My love, my soul mate, my tea cup – how's our beloved musuko?_ "

"Good, good," she replied, winking at Sora. She did that a lot. "I was meeting his _tomodachi_."

Riku gave him a  _look_. "They went to Japan," Sora explained. He nodded in understanding.

" _Well, I don't mean to rush you but if we want to get home before midnight we should go, like, now,_ " his dad said, his voice calm.

"Aww," she said, pouting. "Okaaaay, I'll be there in a minute. Love you."

" _Love you more. Sayonara!_ " And the call ended.

She ruffled Sora's hair, sliding her phone back into her pocket. "Well, I hate to pull you away, but… You should say goodbye to everyone, okay? I'll just…" She gazed at all Sora's friends, grinning brightly, "be in the car." She took Sora's suitcase from the table, backing away.

Sora nodded, grateful. "Oh, uh– don't put anything on top of it," he requested, referring to the bag.

"You got it, kiddo." With another wave to the group, she walked out through the gates out to the parking lot.

"Just in time," Xion said, sidling next to Riku. "I gotta go, too."

"Oh!" Sora said, a wiry feeling settling at the bottom of his stomach. Suddenly, everything was happening too fast. He wasn't ready to  _go_.

With a sweet smile, Xion hugged Sora and Riku at the same time, arms hooked around their shoulders. "This summer was the best," Xion said warmly, "Thanks, guys."

"Same to you!" Sora replied, smile wide even as reality was lapping at the shores of his mind and begging to be dealt with. Riku nodded, smile still a tad flustered. And when they let go, Xion joined his parents and walked with them out of camp, too, skipping backwards and waving the whole time.

"You're going, too, Sora?" Roxas asked when Xion disappeared from sight.

"Yeah," he replied sadly. It still didn't feel real yet, just empty words and intentions.

Namine hugged him again, just as firm and sincere as their morning exchange. As Roxas joined, on the other side, he said, "For a second, I thought your mom was Riku's, she was all over him."

Sora held them tight on either side of him, giggling. "She's– she's like that. Just feel lucky you guys were busy, or she'd have done it to you, too."

"You're  _just_  like her," Namine said, laughing into her hand.

Sora put those words in a sacred place inside his heart, to keep forever. But he laughed it off, "No, I'm not!"

The twins pulled away, identical smiles so penetrating Sora felt soft and tender. The rims of Roxas's eyes were still red, matching Namine's; she was blinking back tears. "We'll see each other again," Roxas said, assuring himself as much as Sora and his sister.

Sora nodded, wetness building up in his eyes, too. "It's a promise."

Namine wiped her eyes, and gave her bravest, most mischievous smirk. "Oh, look, Roxas, there's our parents!" She pointed off to the side, somewhere by the gates. Everyone followed the direction of her arm. It was true there was a group of people there, but none that looked like their parents.

"What are you talking about? They're not–"

"Let's go!" she said, and dragged her brother along by the hand. He went, but protested the whole way. They even left their suitcases side by side on the table.

It made sense when he turned to Riku and realized they were alone.

"I guess we got pranked by Namine after all?" Sora said, watching the twins disappear into the crowd.

"It was bound to happen," Riku replied, uncrossing his arms.

Sora stood in front of him. They were almost the same height with Riku leaned against the table. Sora could see his eyes so clearly, so bright and calm and safe. Reality was catching up to Sora, but at least he could breathe again. Riku took one of Sora's hands, and smiling, Sora took the other.

"They're waiting," Riku said. Sora wasn't sure who he was telling; Sora or himself.

So he ignored it. "Scared at all?" Sora asked sweetly, rocking on his heels as he held Riku's hands between them. The wind was picking up again, sweeping his silver all to one side; there were pieces that had choppy ends, Sora noticed with a mixture of guilt and endearment.

"A little," Riku admitted, smirking with false confidence. "I can't tell you not to go, though."

He felt that warm fluttering in his chest that accompanied Riku's every word. "Well, don't be," Sora said, assured, "everything's different now – better!"

"Because of you," he replied, reaching up to cup his cheek. Sora tilted into it, the edges of his eyes prickling again.

"No, because of you," Sora insisted. Riku blushed, soft, but Sora could practically see the counter argument on his lips already. He'd love to take it. "Okay, how about both of us?"

"Hmm," Riku hummed, considering it. His true intentions were given away when he pulled Sora closer, sliding his hand up Sora's arm up until it glided past his neck. Sora was already leaning in, trying to tame his giddy grin and ignore the shiver he got.

Sora wondered if there'd ever come a day that kissing Riku wouldn't make his heart pound; but either way, today wasn't that day. The worst part was that Sora still didn't know what the hell he was doing, and the best part was that Riku made adjustments as they kissed; tilting his head so they weren't smushing noses, the pressure of his lips that felt like a cliff, a precipice into something new. Sora wished he had another summer to explore the word  _boyfriend_ and  _kissing_ and all that entailed, but he'd have to settle for the faint taste of Lucky Charms on Riku's lips. It was sweet.

He parted slowly, like he could drag out a moment into a thousand. Riku was combing the hair at the base of Sora's neck with his fingers idly, and Sora realized he was still wearing his jacket.

"Um, are you sure you want me to keep this?" Sora asked shyly, fiddling with one of the hood's strings.

Riku grinned fondly. "I think you're  _really_  missing the point of the boyfriend jacket."

Wow, Sora  _really_  liked Riku's voice saying that word,  _boyfriend_. It made Sora say stupid things. "But... it won't smell like you if I keep it."

It was worth it for the happy warmth that reached his eyes. "I guess you'll have to see me sooner than later," Riku teased.

Sora nodded, because in no universe did he  _not_ intend on seeing Riku as much as possible. "I wanna meet  _your_ mom, now."

"Oh god, please don't," he replied, chuckling, "you'd break up with me."

"I would not!" Sora gasped, squeezing the hand he held. "Besides, my mom embarrassed me, now yours has to embarrass you." He knew they were stalling, talking about anything.

Riku glossed over the challenge. "Did you tell her about…?" he asked.

Sora shook his head. "Not yet. Don't worry, though, she like, already adopted you."

Riku shook his head. "She really is just like you."

"I take that as a compliment, you know!" Sora sent him a proud grin.

"Because it is one, dork." He leaned in and kissed Sora's cheek. "But seriously, you should go. Before your parents realize they should hate me."

"It's not a phase, mom," Sora teased, idly touching the spot on his cheek he was kissed. "But fi~ne." He looked to the table, but remembered his mom had taken his suitcase. "Um, love you," Sora said, taking a step back. It was harder to say than he thought it'd be, but he kind of liked the weight.

"I love you, too," Riku replied, smile wide and sweet. "Text me."

Walking away was arguably one of the hardest things Sora had ever done – backward steps notwithstanding. He felt the sadness of it all catch up to him like stepping into a cold shower when he passed through the gates.

He saved his tears for the car, a handful for each mile they drove.

"Hey, there you are, Sora!" his mom said. The door closed behind him with a harsh and finalizing slam as he clambered into the backseat.

"We were about to go back– oh, hey, what's wrong, kiddo?" his dad said, twisted in the driver's seat to look at him. His concerned frown didn't match his new "I Love Nihon" shirt. His mom turned too, immediately placing a soft hand on Sora's knee.

He wiped the sides of his face to no avail; new tears took their place. "Guys, why didn't you tell me that miracles hurt?"

"Oh honey," Sora's mom said. The two exchanged a sad, but hopeful glance. His dad finished, "Change always does."

* * *

_Riku:_

Demyx owning the truck two cars down from Larxene's Toyota, an old pickup with chipped blue paint and a dented bumper that'd seen too many light poles, was the most ridiculous thing Riku had seen. That was, until Zexion put his bag in the cramped passenger seat, gatorade bottles pouring out from the open door onto the gravel, and Riku realized that it'd only get stranger from here.

"Heading out, guys?" Demyx said, adjusting his guitar in the crowded, chaotic bed of his truck. He was struggling with bungie cords to strap it down in place.

"No, we're going to Disneyland – what do you think we're doing?" Larxene said, skipping like a child up to his truck. She leaned against the side, watching him fail to pull the cords far enough to hook them.

"Oh, that was kinda a dumb question, wasn't– ow!" A cord slipped in his grip.

Larx snickered. "Never get useful, dude."

Demyx laughed back like it was a compliment, shrugging. He spotted Riku still at the end of the truck, carrying both his and Larxene's bags. "Hey, Riku, if you want, you and Sora could come back next summer as advisors! You're gonna graduate, right?"

Demyx looked to Zexion for approval, who hummed. "Mm, he's had worse ideas."

Riku didn't bother telling them Sora was a junior. "What, so we can do all the work for you?"

"Caught us," Demyx said sheepishly, "think about it, though!"

With a roll of his eyes, Riku replied, "Whatever." He began walking toward Larxene's trunk, staving off all emotion until there were miles and miles between here and him, and he wasn't behind the wheel.

"Smell ya later," Larxene said as a goodbye. She blew them a sarcastic kiss as she sauntered to Riku's side.

Riku tossed their things into the trunk of the car, and then clambered into the driver's seat. The heat of the day made the interior an oven; Riku could see the heat waves off the dash. Even so, Larxene had her flip flops on the floor, legs propped up as she clicked her nails on her phone screen. The sight was more comforting than he thought it'd be.

"If we wreck, your legs will snap in  _half_ ," Riku told her, hissing from the heat of the seat. He was the last driver, so it was already fit for his long legs. He missed the usual passenger seat rider that always had his seatbelt on before he could blink.

She tsk-ed, putting her legs down. "Kill joy. Just don't wreck us, then."

His nod seemed to suffice, because she curled into the seat. "Tell mom we're on the way?" he asked, the car roaring to life. He smirked when she winced from the hot air the car spewed, her look of disgust the same as if someone has personally affronted her.

"Gah, turn the air down, Jesus Christ–" She did it herself, and Riku waited for Demyx to drive past behind them. "And, I'll do you one better; I'm gonna call her."

It was weird to think he hadn't heard his mother's voice over a whole summer, but he said nothing as the dial tone began ringing from the car speakers.

"Lar~x, where's your straightener? I can't find it anywhere!" As soon as the call clicked, his mom bypassed greetings for… her hair. He shook his head.

Snickering, Larxene replied, sitting up excitedly, "It's with me, of course. Hey, you're on speaker – we're driving home."

"Speaker? Oh, Riiiiii!" his mom sang, and despite everything her excitement made Riku smile, made him forget he was supposed to be at least a little disgruntled with her. "Ri, baby, I miiiiiissed you. Every time I watched  _Pride and Prejudice_  I thought of you, and cried."

Larx snorted. He ignored her. "Missed you, too. Didn't miss  _Pride and Prejudice_."

"Shh, you love it," she said. He could see her twirling her silver strands around a finger.

"Riku's a liar, Deni – he was too busy making goo-goo eyes at his new boyfriend to miss you."

She hadn't even finished her sentence before Riku nearly let go of the wheel to smash his forehead into it, groaning so loud. "I  _hate_ you, Larxene."

Her cackling made it clear she didn't care at all. "Oh, back to  _hating_ me–"

"What!? Why am I just  _now_ hearing about this, Ri?" Deni said. She made a squealing sound. "Is he cute?"

Dodge-rolling out of the driver's seat and into corn fields flying by him was looking more and more appealing by the second. "Mom, this  _just_ happened."

"Pfft," Larx bubbled dramatically, "Okay, but like, they were flirting this  _whole_ fucking summer, Deni. The  _whole. Summer_. It was  _adorable_."

"I think you just like watching me suffer."

His mom and Larxene said at the same time: "Only a little bit."

Are rice fields or corn fields softer, in terms of diving into them headlong?

"So, when am I meeting him, hmmm?" Deni lilted.

_Probably never_ , was what he thought, but had a sinking feeling that was mere wishful thinking. "Why are you so excited about it? Actually– don't answer that, we're not talking about this."

"Boo," Larx said. "I really like your blushing face." She poked Riku's cheek, digging and twisting the finger.

"Ugh, get  _off_  me Larx, I'm  _driving_!–" With a free hand he tried to push her away, but keeping the car aligned with the road made him unable to put much force behind it. She kept making cooing noises.

Deni's laughter, high and sincere and sweet, cut through their fight through the speakers – a sound Riku hadn't heard in a long, long time. Riku looked to the radio, then to Larxene, who pulled away with a satisfied, soft smile. He turned back to the road, his frown half-hearted at best.

"Hey, since everyone's home tonight, let's celebrate!" Deni said after her laughter faded away.

"Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" Larxene chanted, dancing in her seat. It made the car shake a little bit, but Riku kept them straight.

"Yaaaas! Pineapples, Riku?"

"You know it," Riku said with a smirk.

Larxene scowled. "The fuck is wrong with you two? Pineapples do  _not_ go on pizza."

"A lot of things," Riku supplied.

"You signed up for this, Larx!" Deni encouraged.

She grumbled, "Yeah, yeah, whatever, just get me cheese." Riku smirked to tease her more about it, but she was still smiling in contentment.

"Okay, just text me when you're like, forty-five minutes out? See y'all at home!" And she hung up in Deni's ditzy fashion.  _She hasn't changed at all_ , Riku thought – but somehow, with Larxene in the passenger, that was okay.

* * *

_One Week Later_

It had rained a couple days ago, so the ground was dry, but damp to sit on. It was still ungodly hot, the clouds long gone away, giving Riku a view straight to the Heaven told to him as a child. His mom long gave up telling her son stories of Heaven and Hell – maybe because he'd get strange ideas of where people like them would go, or maybe because the truth was she never believed in either – but the silence of the cemetery always reminded him that there was some comfort in the thought of an afterlife.

Some rain was leftover, trapped as condensation in the plastic bags and hard, clear containers that littered the graves; modern times meant that people left letters and other papers and would stick them in plastic in hopes of preserving them. A meaningless effort. The first time he visited Mikey, he  _abhorred_  their papers and plastic flowers and lighters and cigarette boxes, a few cancer sticks left soggy inside. Because they were fake. Fake sentiment as flimsy as the paper that melted in the rain, white and blank like the plastic flowers that bleached in the scorching Texas sun. And he hated those who left them.

But Riku was wrong. Despite the time that passed, Mikey's grave had bright faux flowers, new lighters deliberately put next to a near-fresh pack – whoever was visiting was as persistent as they were wasteful, maybe – and new notes preserved in sandwich bags inside a see-through red plastic container. Double protection.

Maybe he hated them, because they could grieve and move on, while for so long he couldn't. Maybe he hated them, because other people loving Mikey somehow gave less of the blame, less of the love, to Riku – and Riku wanted to matter.

And he used to stand there, for god knows how long, in silence, just staring. At the name, at the date. But now he sat, his black jeans getting a little damp from the grass. And he couldn't shut up.

"He's literally never gone to a concert," Riku explained. He was on his fifth or so story, catching Mikey up to his life – and they all involved Sora. "Even though he knows all your favorite bands, almost – which was wild."

There was no one to reply, of course. Riku was kind of happy there was no one to hear him. "Anyway, I think you would have liked him," he said, a little softer. "Would have" still hurt, but he was happy to feel it. He had enough hope now to consider "would have" like they were real things.

He played with a piece of grass idly, dry and flimsy in his hands. "Mom and I moved in with Larxene. I know, she's crazy, but she'll help mom," Riku said, trying to remember if Mikey would have known that already or not. He wasn't sure, but he'd tell him anyway. "Oh, and since we moved like, thirty minutes West, I'm not sure when I'll be back, but..." He guessed it didn't matter; visiting a grave often wasn't the healthiest thing, probably.

"I guess, I just… wanted to tell you I think things are gonna work out." He smiled at the impossibility of it all.

Out of all his visits, he never left anything. Out of guilt, and anger to those who did. But there was a rolled spiral in the box with a couple sharpies – and with a sigh, he took them, and flipped the book to a fresh page. He didn't really have anything else to say – more a feeling, really. He encompassed it with a smiley face, tongue sticking out and exes for eyes.

The next time it rained, the page would probably get damp enough to bleed, but honestly, that was okay. He was leaving it for himself just as much as his friend. That was okay, too.

He touched the tombstone stop with lingering, trailing fingers as he left. The stone was hot, but it was grounding. "Rest in paradise," he said, even if he wasn't sure there was one.

He checked his phone in the car, waiting for the AC to cool his steering wheel enough to even touch. He was already behind ten messages in the group chat, but he went to Sora's text instead. " _Tell him I said hi!_ " it said, with a kiss-face emoji. Riku snorted;  _too late for that_. Maybe he'd keep the fact he just spent thirty minutes talking almost exclusively about Sora to himself.

He left the cemetery feeling light. The gate swung closed behind him and for once he didn't feel like he belonged behind them.

Three days later, Riku woke up to an alarm at 6 A.M., giving him a grand total of four hours of sleep before the first day of his senior year. He waited for the dread to set in, the apathy about school and what it stood for and everyone within it, but instead he found himself smiling in mild annoyance at his phone. The group chat was already alive and frantic. But what got him out of bed was Sora's good morning text, complete with a happy Japanese keyboard emoji. He replied, though the usage of emojis still eluded him.

It was still strange waking up in this apartment, the walls white and bare, his desk still a chaos of unplugged cords and game consoles. All his clothes were still in suitcases. He wasn't awake enough to look through them, deciding breakfast first.

He was shocked to find both his mom and Larxene in the kitchen, awake drinking coffee. The coffeemaker was still brewing, but Larxene sat at the kitchen counter bar, mug half-full and steaming, head on her hands like "awake" was really an overstatement. Maybe he should have put on a shirt. Deni was refilling her mug when Riku started making cereal. He was pouring milk when she hugged him, or more like hung herself off of him, tiredly leaning her forehead against him. He almost spilled.

"Happy first day of school, Ri," she mumbled. It made him nostalgic for elementary school days, when she drove him to school every morning and congratulated him for every day he completed.

Riku dragged her with him to the fridge to put the milk back, sighing, "What are you two doing awake?"

"It's the first day of school~ It's important~" She grabbed her mug as Riku dragged her back to her chair at the bar, next to Larxene.

"She got up with me," Larxene explained, subdued in her tiredness, "I have a bunch of paperwork shit to give you."

The past week had been a flurry of " _shit, where the fuck did we put your birth certificate?_ " and " _you need immunizations – go to Walgreen's, I guess_?"; it left Riku stressed and with a sore arm, but no clue which high school Larxene was registering him for. It turned out that Riku couldn't choose because of the district lines. But whatever. He leaned against the counter after placing his bowl down, eating slowly. "Please tell me at least  _one_ of those has an address," he said, eying the formidable pile of papers.

"Yeah, I wrote it down," the blonde said. She sat up straight just long enough to sip the coffee, and put her head down again.

"What about classes?" Riku asked, wondering if she thought about that at all.

"Oh, you gotta stop by the front office for it; give them this big stack and– Deni, did you sign everything?"

"Hmm?" the silverette hummed over her coffee, "Oh, mhmm, last night."

Riku took the stack of papers in between his mom and Larxene and flipped through; his mom had signed in a pink pen, a heart dotting the 'i's in each Denise. "Thanks, guys," Riku said, amused but touched this got done in time at all. His mom hugged his side again, and Riku pulled Larxene in.

Larx scoffed, "Alright, alright, you're welcome, and thanks for the validation."

Deni laughed, "We're like a gay family now or something." Larxene turned pink at the comment; Riku pretended not to notice.

"Hmm, maybe you're where I get it from," Riku said, ruffling her already chaotic bedhead. She giggled; Riku was glad she was half-awake, because any other time she'd be protesting.

Sora texted him again right as Riku was on his way out the door. " _Ughhhhhh we stayed up 2 laaaaate. Finally kno what hs u going 2?_ " He'd been teasing Riku about it all week, how last minute it all was. He felt like it was a roundabout way of asking  _where_ Riku lived, and he hadn't meant to hide it, but now he avoided answering. Because, what if they were states apart? It was easier to pretend and hope, not knowing how far flung they were.

" _Yeah_ ," Riku typed, " _I'll snap you when I get there, wish me luck_." He paused at the door. "I should be home like, at four the latest," he told the women who had relocated to the couch, bickering over what to watch on Netflix. "If you two need help at the bar…"

His mom perked up, but waved him off, "Nah, don't worry about it, just go to school and be good!"

With a grin, he opened the door. "No promises. Bye, guys."

"Bye~" they called, and Riku left, his heavy stack of papers in hand. Starting over had a lot of red tape.

* * *

_Sora:_

"Upperclassman" had a weird ring to it.

To get to the junior's classes, Sora and Kairi had to walk through the freshman hall and past the sophomore hall. It was a sea of faces, mostly strangers, and the school colors; red lockers, black and red tiles, and black carpet offset only by the brown bricks of the walls. But at least he could see the end of it. With deep breaths, he followed Kairi who was excitedly retelling  _something_ , energy emanating from each of her steps and hands waving as she talked. She was always brave, and wholly unhindered by change and new beginnings. Or at least, that's how she made it seem. The only indication that she was conscious it was The First Day of School was her attire; a cute pink dress (" _Its got_ pockets _, Sora!_ ") and a coat of mascara.

Sora thought he'd be used to first-day jitters by now, but everything felt new and strange. Like this year would be completely different from the last. It was a thought that made his stomach turn, and it had nothing to do with the fact he skipped breakfast.

He wondered how Riku was doing. Being a senior was special already – but doubly unique for him, going to a new school, living in a new place. He wondered where  _that_ even was. Riku hadn't said. Sora hadn't asked. He already ached to see him again, but they'd been so busy – and Sora didn't want to be another source of pressure.

"Yo! Sora, Kairi!" Tidus called as they passed the geometry classroom. Sora blinked back into existence, berating himself. Could he stop thinking about Riku for  _two,_ just  _two_ , seconds?

Tidus stopped in front of them, beads of sweat lining his forehead and face flushed; he must have already had football practice.

"What's up?" Kairi asked next to him, a casual hand going to her hip. Sora could immediately tell by her pointed eyes that she was guarded. As Kairi had recounted to him when they hung out after he came home, her and Tidus were on a sort of friendship-probation. Sora didn't know where that left him and Tidus. Before camp, Tidus's presence would have been a promise of an anxiety attack – but the panic was strangely absent, now.

"What's your schedules lookin' like? Me and Selphie have like, four classes together," he said, smiling nervously. "It'd be cool if we had classes together again, like in middle school." He looked at Sora then, blue eyes earnest as he handed his schedule to him.

Sora couldn't remember the last time Tidus had been this friendly, at least to him. He took the paper, retrieving his own from his pocket, and compared them. "Oh, we have like, three together," Sora said, not sure how glad he should sound about it, should feel about it.

But Tidus smiled brilliantly, holding up a hand to high-five as Sora handed the schedule to Kairi. "Dude! Hell yeah," he cheered. Was this… Tidus trying to befriend him? Sora returned the high-five, head spinning on this change.

"Sora and my schedules are nearly the same," Kairi said, her smile growing, "So, I guess we'll see you in history."

"Oh, thank god," he breathed, shoulders dipping dramatically, "I fucking  _suck_ at dates."

"Well, we're not gonna save your ass from failing," she critiqued, her mother-mode switching on like a light.

"Oh, well, duh – have you  _heard_ about Mrs. Lacquey? She's strict as hell," he said, eyes darting somewhere behind them, "Oh, that's Wakka, I wanna– Hey, Wakka!" He waved, then took his schedule back. "See you guys later, yeah?" He clapped Sora's shoulder familiarly, then jogged down the hall, catching up with his friend.

"What the heck was  _that_?" Sora asked after Tidus disappeared around a corner, frowning.

Kairi burst into giggles. "Oh my god, that was  _so_ worth it," she said, "I've never seen him so nervous – that was great."

"Why was he nervous?" They began walking again – the clock high on the wall said there was still fifteen minutes until first period, but they wanted to get there early.

"Pfft, you, of course," she said, eyes sparkling. She grinned, bumping shoulders with him. "He should be – you could totally kick his ass."

Sora found himself nodding along, as it hit him; he wouldn't, but not because he couldn't – but because forgiveness was stronger than his fists. "Kill him with kindness," he replied with a thumbs up.

She linked arms with him, and sighed. "That's so you. Whatever, he's still on thin ice with me. C'mon, let's find Selphie!" She didn't give him room to argue. Grabbing Sora's hand, she skipped down the hall with Sora in tow, his grin growing.

Maybe this year would be good. He couldn't wait to tell Riku.

As soon as he thought it, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He made the two of them slow so he could bring out the phone, eyes lighting up when he read the name of the sender. Kairi nearly tripped backwards when she tried to skip forward but couldn't, and looked back. He must have been grinning too wide at his phone because she cooed, "Oooh, is it your  _boyfriend_?"

"Shut up," he said sillily, feeling the heat in his ears before opening the snap. It was a picture of a mostly blank piece of paper with neat writing across – Riku's, Sora realized. It was the same handwriting in his  _Frankenstein_. The black bar crossing it read: " _finally got my schedule._ " It made Sora smile, how simple the snap was – a reminder that Riku used social media  _because_ of him.

But then he noticed the brick walls in the background, the red and brown pattern and the carpet, black. Weren't they a little  _too_ familiar? He felt floored in disbelief – but even if there was the  _smallest_ chance… He didn't even respond to the snap, didn't say a single  _word_ because he was  _sprinting_  down the hall before he could blink, so fast and unplanned that he nearly tripped over himself. He thought he heard Kairi cry in surprise, "Sora?!" but he was already gone, weaving in and out of other teens walking down the hall.

His eyes scoured the hall – the  _senior_ hall – from the snap, desperate and near holding his  _breath_  for a flash of silver. And released that breath so hard it  _hurt_ when he saw it. Same height, same haircut, and hell, Sora thought he recognized the  _shirt_  – looking at his phone, paused in the hall. Butterflies hopefully fluttering in his stomach, he called out, still running, "Riku?!"

He perked at the name, but it was too late – Sora had already jumped, sudden and spontaneous, possibly hug-tackling a complete stranger. They connected with the full force of Sora's weight and fell, his arms slung around the silveret's shoulders – the only semblance of order among the chaos of their limbs as they hit the ground. It was the voice that confirmed it: "Fucking  _hell,_ what the  _fuck_ –  _Sora?_ "

Okay, Sora probably bruised his hip in the fall but he couldn't feel it, adrenaline numbing everything. Sora pulled away just enough to look eagerly at his face. Those eyes, that nose – there was no mistake. "Riku, it's  _you!_ " he cried in shock and glee. Riku was dumbfounded, brow furrowed and mouth slightly ajar like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It had Sora giggling before he could even reply.

"How…?" He hadn't even moved, his backpack sliding off his arm.

" _I should be asking you!_ " Sora practically screamed, laughing. "I can't believe you're  _here_!" Reality was coming back to him in the form of pain; on his knees and his hip but  _god_ was it worth it.

Riku's hands floundered like he was scared to touch Sora lest he disappear, but settled his hand firm but gentle at the small of his back. He pressed Sora closer like it was proof. "You're  _here_."

"I am!" He could barely speak, breathing hard like he had just run a mile.

"At … my high school," Riku outlined, as if that somehow made this impossible.

"I mean, I was here first so, it's more mine than yours," Sora joked.

Riku chuckled, because Sora had a point, and rubbed his face in an exasperated form of acceptance. "So you were in Texas… this whole time."

"Mhmm, and so were you." He looked into Riku's face accusatorially, a winning smirk on his lips.

"But… you don't even have an accent," he argued, justifying his disbelief.

"Pfft, neither do you! You don't even say 'y'all'!"

Riku laid his head on Sora's shoulder in surrender and sighed, "I'm an idiot." Sora scooted a little closer.

"You're not. You were worried, weren't you?" He brushed through Riku's hair with his fingers shyly, somewhat guilty that it had been mused into disarray from Sora's tackle.

"Caught me," he said, pulling back just far enough that an inch was between their noses.

" _Sora. Stride!_ " a familiar voice called down the corridor. Sora jolted in place, looking wildly about until he saw the flash of pink approach. She stopped her jog right in front of them, huffing from the exercise. "You just ran off!  _What_ –" She stared at them, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Sora, why are you on the ground?!"

Sora released Riku's shoulders to gesture at him like he was the prize on some reality quiz show. She gasped, blinking rapidly in realization: "Is that  _Riku?!_ "

He practically jumped in his spot on the ground. " _Yeah!_ "

" _Oh, my god!_  Well, get up, I–" then she laughed, watching Riku's blank and dazed face, "I think you broke him."

Riku scoffed, defending himself, "I thought I mc-fucking  _died_."

Sora looked around and realized that people were staring at them as they walked by. Maybe they should get off the ground. Laughing sheepishly, he stood and outstretched a hand to help Riku up. "Um, sorry for… tackling you to the ground."

Still looking a little dazed, he took it, clasping them together. Riku did most the work to actually get up, but when he stood, he interlocked their fingers, pulling Sora a little closer.

Sora stared at their interlocked fingers and blushed. He looked at Kairi, eyes bright as if to say: " _Look! Look!_ " Then he remembered that the two had never officially met. "Oh! Formal introductions: Riku, Kairi, Kairi, Riku!"

Sora shouldn't have been surprised, but he was when she hugged him. Unlike with his mom, though, Riku was quicker to hug back. "I'm noticing a trend," he said. Sora hoped this gratitude showed on his face.

"We're like, already best friends –  _he_  answers my snaps so," she said with a petty glare, mid-hug. Sora stuck his tongue out at her. "Oh, Sora, we should show him where his classes are!"

She released Riku, so he could take out the schedule he wrote down from his pocket. "Let me see that!" Sora snatched the paper, looking it over before frowning, "Ugh, I don't know where these classrooms are."

"Aren't you so helpful," Riku teased.

"Best tour guide award goes too…" Kairi giggled.

"Both of your are  _haters_ ," Sora pouted, but felt warm that his two most important people were already ganging up on him. "But I think we have the same lunch!" Kairi looked over at the paper too, before nodding.

And then overhead, a shrill alarm rang through the halls. "Oh god, that's the bell, we should have left forever ago," Sora said, gazing at the clock.

Kairi adjusted her backpack on her back. "I'm not getting a tardy on my first day, so I'm running, Sora. Oh– it was nice to finally meet you, Riku!" She slowed her jog away just for that, waving.

"Yeah, likewise," Riku replied, waving.

Sora grabbed Riku's arms, gripping his arms as if to keep him there. "I really should go, too. Uhm… see you… later?"

Sora hadn't backed away even an inch. The halls were clearing fast as students tried to find their rooms hastily. Despite Sora's heart still pounding, they were the calm eye of the storm. Riku leaned in stole Sora's lips quick – and wow, it'd only been a little over a week, but Sora had already managed to miss this. It was soft and chaste, maybe even a little cautious, because they felt the clock ticking. This close, Riku's forest fresh scent overpowered the dust and tile-cleaner smell of the school, and everything else melted away just for that moment. The scent had already faded from the jacket he wore – but now, it could always smell like Riku. And he could see Riku every day, kiss Riku every day.

They pulled away; Sora still felt the kiss like his body had decided to freeze on that sensation – no complaints. "See you later," Riku said, "By then, hopefully I will have processed that  _this_ ," he gestured to all of Sora with his hands, "is real."

"You better," Sora nodded. He trotted off like he was walking on clouds, sneaking glances back at Riku until he had gone around the corner. In class, he didn't hear a single thing his teachers said until lunch. Kairi said she now had at least ten pictures of Sora's dumbest faces, but he didn't care. He was too stuck on the thought that maybe miracles do happen after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, 19 chapters, and roughly ~120k. Remember when I said this version would be shorter? I guess I’m a liar, rip! When I wrote Miracles (the first version), I was 15/16 and really didn’t know what I was doing. Now I’m 22 and I still don’t know what I’m doing, but hopefully descending into madness with some grace. It’s a little surreal; I started the re-write right before my life totally got derailed, and then started over again when all the pieces were picked up again. Needless to say, YAMM has a really special place in my heart because it encompasses so much of me and my experiences, my love for Kingdom Hearts, and my battle cry to keep going even when everything fucking sucks. Oh, and that I’m an utterly hopeless romantic. I’m sure you’ve figured that out by now.
> 
> All that to say, seriously, thank you for reading, whether you started from the cringe-fest that was Miracles, the chaos-with-good-intentions re-write, or this version. I’m so thankful and overwhelmed by the love and friendships I made writing this. Thanks to [AmbitiousSkychild](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmbitiousSkychild/pseuds/AmbitiousSkychild/works) who not only taught me how to write again, but became my best friend and listened to my impassioned screaming about Sora and Riku. Thanks to Tuc Tuc, who somehow suffered through several versions of this and still wanted to talk to me. Your support has carried me through these last chapters, and I’m so happy to have another KH friend. And thanks to [SnitorisSnape](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnitorisSnape/pseuds/SnitorisSnape/works?fandom_id=4182), who quickly became a great friend and whose comments I tear up over. I don’t know what I did to deserve you guys.
> 
> And of course, thank you to everyone who commented, kudo’s, followed, and/or bookmarked! Your comments were the highlight of my week, kept me going when I thought for sure every sentence I wrote was a dumpster fire. Every email I got, I became a screaming mess lol. (and @SinisterArtist, don’t think I didn’t see your bookmark comment… I DID AND I APPRECIATE LOL). 
> 
> **I’ll be back in a week-ish with the epilogue as a last hurrah** , but since some don’t read epilogues, here’s my old-fashioned send-off :]
> 
> Thanks to: SnitorisSnape, xxcentaurus, BlveWayfinder, WxTxR, OncexUponxAxFairyTail, Donauweibchen (VerborgenImSchatten), petersfeather, deviedra, Srinalyn, scattered_dream, SinisterArtist, Shiroi_Inu, Aquaerie, Red1sWeird, SunaoJee, Elizabeth_Payne, Obsidian_Angel77, jiraiyaa (noctizanagi), 49Personas, rizumu, Vansevant, Dark_Phoenix16, rdhof, pastaandscones, Iacha, LadygoldLoZ, MikhailWilliams17, SassyPrilla, boyofthehouse, snoveralls, prodigious_ink_slinger, chibi_tsubasa, zzXXGun_GirlXXzz, BlueKittyCat13, Mellowzelo, and Leonsexual for kudos! 
> 
> And: fortheloveofpatrochilles, Arkya, littleskyangel, SnitorisSnape, Eggy_Boi, SinisterArtist, SunaoJee, Red1sWeird, arrowriver, Akurokuluver21, rdhof, 1freekywriter, MikhailWilliams17, Dyeus, meremirror, chibi_tsubasa, UnknownDrew, Leonsexual for bookmarks!
> 
> Y’all all the real MVPs. As always, you can always scream at me on tumblr, or here, or wherever! My tumblr handle is [astraia-writes](https://astraia-writes.tumblr.com/), my main is [kaiserin-astraia](http://kaiserin-astraia.tumblr.com/) (fair warning I post more than kh on my main). 
> 
> I still got a list of 19 fics I plan to write so. Hopefully see you there ;] 
> 
> ~ Kaiserin Astraia


	20. Epilogue: Chikai

**~ Epilogue: Chikai ~**

* * *

Sora's cake was strawberry, with a soft, pink frosting and real strawberries lining the edges. "2 At Heart" was written across the top in a deep red edible paste. Kairi made it – none of that store-bought shit, she said. And even though Axel and Riku had gone to Spec's down the road for cheap piña colada mix, Sora was perfectly content to sit at their table, and eat the cake.

He was on his third slice. And why shouldn't he? Turning twenty meant that he had the right to at  _least_  twenty slices. That's what he told Riku, and it had earned him a hair ruffle and a dollop of icing on his nose. Roxas got a picture that would likely end up printed and on the fridge.

"Kairi should have baked two," Riku commented idly next to him, staring at the TV in the living room that had the latest Final Fantasy flashing across the screen. It was Riku's birthday gift to him, though Axel was getting first trial on it.

"Or twenty," Sora supplied, grinning cheekily. He took another bite of cake, savoring the sweet flavor.

"I will never understand how you aren't three hundred pounds," Roxas slurred from his cozy spot on the couch – Axel's lap, surrounded by his boyfriend's arms as the redhead attempted to play. Roxas was content to be a hindrance, blocking Axel's view with his hair and leaning on his shoulder  _just_  so that he struggled to keep both hands on the controller.

"You're just as bad," Axel replied, "You're the one we're buying Zebra Cakes for."

"Lies," the blonde said lazily; it was clear he was a little tipsy but the length he held the 's' at the end of his word. "Ax," he complained with no other explanation.

"One more mission," Axel mumbled, "Then we'll go to bed."

"You guys, too?" Sora pouted, "It's like, only one."

"Only one, he says," Roxas snickered into Axel's chin. It earned him a peck.

"I'm still awake…" Sora mumbled.

Riku snorted, glancing fondly at Sora stuff his face with cake like the child the cake claimed him to be. "It's  _your_  birthday, of course you're hyper."

He nodded enthusiastically, taking another bite of his cake. "Yeah, 'cause I'm like, a super adult now. An adult-y adult."

"Still can't drink," Riku said. "Legally," he added with a pointed glance at the auspicious red cup next to his plate.

Sora took a sip just for show. "Fight me."

"Later," Riku replied, more out of habit than intentional innuendo. Still, Sora smirked behind the cup.

Axel paused and looked to Riku. "Hey, if we go to bed, what should we do about them?" He was referring to the slumbering trio next to him; Xion and Kairi were leaning on Namine, all fast asleep as of an hour ago. Though Sora had no idea  _how_  they managed to stay that way, with Kairi's ugly snores. It was probably the alcohol.

It wasn't like they could go anywhere, even if they woke up, since Xion drove in, and Kairi and Namine's dorm was at least a thirty minute walk. Clearly, one they wouldn't be making. But it wasn't a big deal; they'd stayed over plenty of times.

"We've taken the extra blanket – we can give it back," Sora supplied, only needing his peripheral vision to confirm Riku agreed.

"You don't think Nami will wake up and puke?" Axel mused, noting the line of drool off her face.

Roxas, half-awake now but always ready to defend his twin, argued, "She didn't drink  _that_  much."

"Says you," he retorted, "you had twice as much." He saved his progress on the game screen, and shut off the game. He tried to get up but Roxas was busy being a koala, clinging to him by the neck.

"I'm not drunk," Roxas argued. Axel gave him a smirk that showed he greatly disagreed. "Don– don't gibe me that look."

"We're off," Axel told them, helping a stumbling Roxas to his feet. He sent a sweet smile to Sora, "And happy birthday, Sora."

"Happy birthday!" Roxas added with undue enthusiasm. He stumbled his way to Sora and gave him a hug; though they weren't so rare anymore, it was equally true Rox was a happy drunk. "We love you."

"Thanks, Rox. Love you, too," Sora giggled, returning the embrace warmly, "Night night!"

The blonde staggered back. Axel waved as Roxas pulled them toward their room. Meanwhile, Riku got up and retrieved the blanket Sora mentioned, and an extra, and laid it neatly over the drunk, slumbering pile left on the couch. He left the other blanket folded next to them.

"You're so sweet," Sora cooed. "Maybe leave the bathroom door open for them, just in case," he added more seriously.

"Yep," Riku agreed, opening the door before returning by the table next to Sora, but didn't sit down. "Wanna go out to the balcony? Let your stomach process all that sugar for like, twenty minutes?"

"Pfft," Sora scoffed, putting his fork down, "I have the metabolism of a cheetah. A... tiger. A large cat." Still, he stood, grabbing Riku's hand.

"Don't I know it," Riku replied, smiling wryly. He led them to the balcony, a small, concrete shaded space with the  _lovely_  view of the back of another apartment building and its roof. There was only one plastic chair out, all the others having been relocated inside for the party, so they leaned against the railing. They had a couple cacti on the floor in the corner next to them, thriving with the dry, hot weather. But for now it was cool, though, because it was late; they couldn't see many stars in the night sky from the orange city glow all around, but it was still pretty.

They were quiet for a moment, breathing in the night air, until Sora giggled to himself, leaning his temple again Riku's shoulder. "I think this is the best birthday I've had."

"Yeah?" Riku encouraged, "Kairi was pretty determined this year."

"Everyone got to come, that's the best part!" He giggled again, "Even Larx got me something. Twenty dollars for the poor college student."

"She likes you more than me," Riku commented ruefully, "She gave me like, ten, last time."

"Nahhhh," Sora refuted. He looked up at the sky, then back at the railing. "Just think, two years and we'll be like, doing real jobs and living in a house."

"You make that sound like it's guaranteed," Riku replied, turning to face him. He settled a hand on his hip, casual, like it belonged there (it did) and soft. His thumb began circling idly; it almost made Sora sleepy.

"It is!" Sora said confidently, "We're gonna get like, a house with a huge living room and turn it into a game room." Riku snorted, but Sora continued, "And we're gonna have like, seven cats. I'm going to name them Anna, Elsa, Ariel, and–"

"Seven princess cats?" Riku quirked his brows like the idea was ludicrous, but was listening anyway. It was Sora's birthday, after all.

"Uh, yeah," Sora retorted like it was obvious. "Elsa would like you the best. Anna would be my furr baby."

"I resent that," Riku teased.

"Elsa will be a big, fluffy, grey cat. And will love you," Sora reaffirmed, his smile snarky.

"Fine," Riku said, playing along, "Which cat will love Axel?"

"Hmm," he tilted his head in thought, "My first instinct is Merida, but Ariel would work, too. They both ran away from home and have red hair. So it like... works."

"Axel would definitely resent that," Riku added again.

"Well you asked!" Sora laughed, leaning in to kiss Riku's jaw. Despite all Sora's best efforts – drinking gallons milk in high school – Riku was still a head taller.

"What else?" Riku asked, pulling Sora closer. He could rest against Riku's shoulder with ease, but he was having more fun looking up into his beautiful aqua eyes.

It was distracting. "What else what?"

"What else are we doing in two years?"

Sora grinned brilliantly; he loved their "we". "You're taking me to Disneyland for graduating."

"Such confidence," Riku was brushing Sora's hair back from his face on the side; it still gave Sora shivers, but it was comforting too. "Which one? Tokyo or California?"

"Well if I have a choice, we're going to Tokyo. And you'll have to drag me home."

"That can be arranged." He looked to the side, hand settling against Sora's neck. "But that's two years off. We're still celebrating your birthday."

"Yeah, that's true," Sora agreed, intrigued by Riku's pointed statement. It occurred to Sora that Riku asked them to come out here, but hadn't considered an ulterior motive for it. "Though it's like, pretty late – it's technically not my birthday anymore."

"Doesn't count," Riku countered. Riku stared into Sora's eyes so long he thought he'd be kissed. But Riku's hand left his hip, instead shuffling inside his pocket.

Sora smiled slyly, "Why? Did you get me something else?"

"Maybe," Riku said, grin soft and somewhat nervous.

"I told you you didn't have to," Sora said sweetly, curious and apprehensive.

"I wanted to," Riku retorted, before demanding in a soft rumble, "Open your hand."

Sora did, his palm up and open, but did nothing to hide his curiosity, leaning in attempts to see whatever was in Riku's hand before he gave it to him. With a chuckle, Riku pressed a small box into his hand; it was a deep navy blue with a little bow on it. And Sora had no clue what it could be.

Sora had a tease on his tongue ready to say, but couldn't when he looked up and Riku was looking out over the balcony. He was blushing, tension clear in his shoulders and still posture. "Uhm. Can I open it?" Sora asked, knowing it was a dumb question, but Riku was making him nervous.

"Yeah, it's–" He swallowed, started again. "It's not what it looks like, really."

Sora didn't know what it was supposed to look like. So he carefully untied the bow, the excitement and curiosity quickly catching up to him; he loved a surprise.

He lifted the box lid, ready to scream 'thank you' because Riku could get him anything, and Sora would be ecstatic, but paused when he saw the contents. They were two gold bands, rather simple and medium thickness.

Riku started talking before Sora could even ask. "I just– You've been talking about graduating and the future so much– our future, and I... I wanted to tell you I'm all in."

Sora averted his gaze from the rings to Riku, who was watching him apprehensively. With wide eyes, he drank in Riku's face – pale and handsome and soft with the meager night lights – and his words, wondering if Riku was saying what Sora thought he was saying.

"You're my best friend, and the best boyfriend ever, and I love you so fucking much it's–" Sora's heart skipped a beat, "It doesn't have to be like," Riku got a little stuck, the crest of his cheeks getting pinker, "marriage, but–"

"Marry me," Sora blurted, unable to contain himself for even one more second. His smile was practically splitting his face, pulling Riku closer again as he'd backed away to give Sora space. Space Sora didn't want. "Ri, marry me?" He cupped Riku's cheek, searching his eyes earnestly, begging him to see that Sora was one-thousand percent serious.

Riku froze but broke just as fast into a laugh that almost sounded like a sob. "Are you sure... you're okay with us? Me?" His face was tilted to the side in insecurity, but he still held Sora close like he couldn't stand Sora being anywhere else.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Riku," Sora said, voice airy in pure bliss, "you're all I want."

And then Riku was kissing Sora so fast he didn't have time to even breathe, fingers brushing the back of Sora's ear and his other hand in the dip of his back. Sora was still gripping the box in one hand, the corners digging in – but thank god it was, so Sora knew for sure this wasn't some wonderful alcohol-produced Birthday dream. He kissed Riku back like it was the last thing he would do, deep but sweet and the only thing holding Sora back from crying. They held each other there like time was stopped, while he mapped and remapped the shape of Riku's lips.

When Sora pulled back, he teased, "It's not official until we put the rings on." He pulled the box closer to his chest, gazing at them breathlessly. "Which is mine?"

"That one," Riku said, popping it out of the velvet casing. Sora held out his left hand expectantly, an excited grin on his face. With a blissful smile of his own, Riku slid it down Sora's finger. It fit perfectly.

"How did you know what size to get?" Sora asked in wonderment, admiring the band.

"Aha, Roxas," Riku admitted, "Your hands are almost the same size, so."

"You know he'll never let you live that down," Sora giggled, and set about retrieving Riku's ring from the box.

"Yeah, but it's totally worth it," Riku said sweetly. He held out his hand, too.

Even after all this time, Sora's hands still shook; it was a permanent part of him. Normally, Sora didn't mind, but the shaking made it difficult to put the band on Riku.

"Fuck, I'm so bad at this," Sora laughed, somehow more embarrassed about this than the actual engagement itself, "I hate my hands."

"I love your hands," Riku said, steadying him with his right hand.

"Oh?" Sora said almost absently, concentrating. He was able to slide it on easy after that, a perfect fit. And suddenly, they matched.

Riku intertwined their fingers happily."Because I get to hold them."

Sora hummed happily. "You're such a sap." He put the box they came in on the sad plastic chair and then launched himself back into Riku's arms, hugging him so close, he could hear Riku's heart pounding in his chest.

Riku held him just as close, pressing feather-light kisses into Sora's neck. Sora mumbled, eyes welling up, "This really was the best birthday ever." A couple tears strayed down his face but they were the happiest tears he'd had.

Riku chuckled; his voice was thick, too. "I don't know how I'll beat this next year."

"I don't know, either," Sora admitted, clinging, "And now I'm fresh out of ideas for  _your_  birthday."

They pulled away just enough to see each other's faces. Riku wiped the tears off, soft and slow and admiringly and wow, Sora was the luckiest guy alive to have Riku as a ... as a  _fiance_.

For a second, Sora felt solemn – thinking about everything they'd done together since meeting in Daybreak Camp. Thinking how Riku practically was adopted into the Stride household for months, present almost every dinner until Axel ran away. Thinking when Sora got to spend the night the first time at Riku's, but only because with Riku and Axel sharing a room, they couldn't do anything  _nefarious._ Thinking how, next time, Roxas came over, too, and Riku and Sora bought Sonic and hung out in the car under the stars for hours. It was sad at the time, but funny now, that when they came back, Roxas hadn't left yet, because he didn't want to go.

Remembering when Riku took Sora to see Mikey the first time, a hot summer day, so hot the grass was more yellow than green on every grave. There was a new plot next to Mikey's, with bright, sad, fake flowers. And Sora cried, and Riku told him it was okay.

Thinking how Sora would lust after Riku in his uniform as a bartender, him sitting at a table studying and pretending he was eighteen so he was  _totally_  legally there, sipping a Shirley Temple. Sora insisting that his tips were kisses, and maybe a little more on his breaks. Deni never said anything, anyway. Larxene and Axel did, though – silver hair did not hide hickeys well.

Remembering when Sora graduated, and Deni shut down the bar for Sora and Kairi, and Genori bought way too many pizzas, and Sora, Riku, Kairi, and Axel got drunk on Dr. Pepper and dreams, that "the future" was starting and all their plans were possible. Roxas and Namine drove down the next weekend, and they all got the normal version of drunk, sanctioned and kept secret by Larxene and Deni.

Remembering when they moved into their new apartment, and it was weird that first night, because it wasn't just a sleepover, it was Their Room and everything was More Serious.

Thinking how Riku was heartbroken when Larxene called in tears that Deni came home with someone, only for everything to be fixed a month later because Larxene finally confessed, and now Riku had  _two_  mothers that acted like toddlers.

Remembering all the ramen and Lucky Charms nights, because they couldn't afford anything else.

Remembering all the concerts that Sora crowd-surfed, and Axel kept Riku from freaking out at the thought of Sora getting hurt in the rough moshing, Roxas the instigator.

Sora had millions of memories that he cherished, all made within the last three years, and now, they were promising the rest of forever.

"Hey, guess what?" Sora finally said, voice barely above a whisper, licking his lips and spinning the ring on his finger.

"What?" Riku indulged him, so close Sora could feel his breath brush across his cheeks.

"You're my miracle," he told him, knowing how cheesy it was, but meant it anyway.

Riku grinned like he held the world in his hands, and gave Sora eskimo kisses, cupping his jaw. "And you're mine."

_~ Fin ~_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: If you thought I wouldn't take the full version of Chikai and run with it, you're dead wrong.
> 
> Also, here is Tuc Tuc's version of the epilogue: "And then Sora and Riku fucked in the back of Larxene's car. The end." And I'm here to say,  ~~they probably did~~.
> 
> Just for a little more explanation, as soon as Axel turned 18 he ran from home, and Riku begged Larxene to let him stay. So, they shared a room for the rest of their senior year (though Axel got his GED instead), and worked at the bar together. They went to community college during Sora and Roxas's senior years nearby. Then, once Sora and Roxas graduated, they all (by all I mean Kairi and Namine, too – Xion went to another university but visits often) applied to university together and got to move into an apartment. Rent is a lot cheaper shared across four people, so there you go. And if Roxas seemed a little OOC in this, it's because he's drunk and in love. And I stan.
> 
> With that, You Are My Miracle is finished! Thank you again for reading, it's been a wild ride. I hope you had as much fun as I did :)
> 
> Happy fanfic-ing! ;) You know I'll be back, bc I have no self-control.  
> ~ Kaiserin Astraia


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